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New York Knicks take first summer game with confident RJ Barrett’s lead

By Rob Wolkenbrod

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 10, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 10, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The New York Knicks finally found the win column in a summer league game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wins and losses mean little in the summer league, but the New York Knicks struggled to show promise in any of their matchups over the previous five days. It featured an earthquake-shortened game and a one-sided downfall to the Summer Raptors.

However, Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers was, by far, New York’s most promising night of play, taking their first win of July. Their first three summer league games were disappointments, despite some glimmers of hope in spurts, including Ignas Brazdeikis’ 30 points during Day 2.

The main four of the starting lineup — Brazdeikis, RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson — all looked more comfortable. Sure, they faced fringe NBA talent, but that was the case in the previous three nights — with the exception of a few players (Zion Williamson) — and they struggled to find momentum.

Barrett, of course, takes the spotlight as the biggest name of the newest Knicks. His first two summer appearances were rough, and Tuesday’s game had flashes towards the end, but the Lakers matchup brought out the best in the Duke product. Looking as confident as any performance, he had 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal.

The night started slow, and Barrett still played out of control at times, but the pros outweighed the cons with glimpses of that promise shown in college. Against NBA competition will be another story, but it is baby steps with a player who just turned 19 years old three weeks ago.

Knox played more confident basketball around the regular season’s end, and it carried into the summer league. However, Wednesday was also his best game yet, attacking the Lakers at the rim to draw fouls and stepping out for shots. He finished 7-for-12 for 25 points.

As for Robinson, he toyed with the Lakers for most of the night. He was a man amongst boys, and the blocked shots behind the three-point line made that apparent, finishing with five swats.

  • Kadeem Allen had a quiet 13 points and six assists to continue his solid summer.
  • Brazdeikis’ 16 points can’t be ignored. He added four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block to form an efficient night.
  • D-II standout Amir Hinton had eight points in nine minutes. He is a candidate to start the year in the G League.
  • Another G League candidate, Tyler Cavanaugh brought another seven points off the bench.

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The summer league tournament is next for the New York Knicks. As of this writing, the NBA has not officially announced its schedule.

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