Knicks Lose to Pacers, Fall To 1-3 in Vegas

I watched the Knicks' 4th Summer League game so you didn't have to…

That was… interesting.

New York, playing without most of their summer starters, were disjointed early on, couldn't hit anything from the outside over the first two quarters and found themselves down 17 points at halftime to Indiana. However, the Knicks mounted an impressive comeback in the second half on Thursday and eventually regained the lead in the closing minutes, but ultimately fell to the Pacers 91-88, dropping to 1-3 in Las Vegas.

This was a game for the true diehards out there, as New York was missing four of their top five players. Pacome Dadiet (left big toe sprain) and Kevin McCullar Jr. (nasal contusion) both missed their second straight game. They were joined on the sidelines by Ariel Hukporti, who is dealing with a left knee sprain and rising rookie Mohamed Diawara, who sprained his left ankle in Tuesday's victory over Brooklyn.

The Knicks trotted out a starting lineup featuring Tyler Kolek, Yudai Baba, Marjon Beauchamp, Luka Scuka and Lance Wear.

Beauchamp was the game's high scorer, tallying 28 points (10-of-16 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and six three-pointers. After a very rocky start to his summer league, Beauchamp finally got on track in the second half of Tuesday's matchup with the Nets. He carried that confidence into Thursday's outing, when he calmly stepped into his jumpers and caught fire from behind the arc. Beauchamp was fighting for his NBA career in the past two contests, so it was good to see the young man put up plenty of points.

Kolek finished Thursday's outing with 14 points, five assists and two boards. However, he was just 6-of-15 from the floor, including missing all six of his three-point attempts, and committed a game-high five turnovers. Fortunately for Kolek, he quieted most of the concerns surrounding his terrible first two games in Vegas by lighting up Brooklyn with 25 points (7-of-17 FGs), two rebounds, four assists, four steals and five three-pointers on Tuesday.

There was plenty of pressure on the young point guard heading into that contest, but he put on a show in the first half and was the best player on the court, by far. I was able to watch that game from my hotel room in Ogunquit, Maine, while the rest of my family was at the beach, and it was clear he came out wanting to make a statement. He was aggressive offensively right from the opening tip and was also hawkish on the defensive end, getting his hands in plenty of passing lanes.

On the whole, Kolek has been far from exceptional over New York's first four games, but it's also important to note that Summer League action is perfect for players who thrive on athleticism, in space and transition. Conversely, Vegas is definitely not ideal for pass-first point guards playing alongside strangers. It's possible that none of the Knicks who suited up alongside Kolek on Thursday will set foot on an NBA court next season. Consequently, opponents have doubled Kolek frequently as soon as he passes halfcourt, forcing someone else to beat them.

The league doesn't track "potential assists" in Summer League action, but it feels like the Knicks are 0-for-50 on jumpers off Kolek passes thus far.

Tyler the Kreator did all he could to put his team on his back down the stretch on Thursday. He cashed in this pretty mid-range jumper, set up by a wicked behind-back-dribble, to tie the score with 90 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

He then gave New York its only lead of the second half with this crafty spin leading to a tough And-1 finish.

Other Takeaways and Knicks Notes:

🏀 Dink Pate struggled through the first 3.5 games of SL but got hot in the 4th quarter Thursday, scoring all 11 of his points in the final frame. He also added seven rebounds, two assists and one steal. Pate is undeniably raw and needs to tweak the mechanics on his jumper. Still, there is some untapped upside in there … Anton Watson chipped in nine points, four rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes off the bench, including a monster poster dunk over Pacers' forward Enrique Freeman…. Yudai Baba, who started at shooting guard, finished with nine points and one three-pointer… Indiana rookie Kam Jones, who spent his first three years at Marquette playing in the same backcourt as Kolek, took his former teammate to the cup on several occasions. Jones had a brilliant all-around game, scoring 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting and dishing out 11 assists.

🏀 It was a shame Mohamed Diawara was unable to suit up Thursday afternoon, as he has steadily been building momentum in Vegas.

Expectations were muted after the Knicks drafted the French forward with the 51st overall pick in June's draft, as the raw 20-year-old was viewed as a likely draft-and-stash candidate. However, his unique combination of size, skill and athleticism has enticed fans stateside.

His numbers don't jump off the page (through three Summer League appearances, Diawara averaged 6.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 22.2 minutes per game), yet the brief glimpses of potent potential have been eye-opening.

Here's a short sizzle reel compiled by Teg on Twitter:

Keep in mind that Diawara has a longer wingspan than Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic and a higher standing reach than Karl-Anthony Towns. It is remarkably rare for a player with these monster measurables to be able to dribble and pass like this kid.

Jordan Brink, the Knicks' summer league coach, showered plenty of praise on the French Wrench after Tuesday's contest vs. Brooklyn. "I've been really impressed with Mohamed," Bink said. "His ability to rebound and run, to push off misses and makes. I thought he was really solid tonight. Pretty active defensively, still learning the defensive system, low man principles. Other than the guys we put in at the end, he was our only positive. So he's been impressive. Continue to want him to shoot open looks and be aggressive to find his shot."

Asked about the Knicks experimenting with Diawara in different roles, Bink replied, "We're just trying to give him different looks. A lot of this is like, let's see what we've got. And let's put him in different positions and try to help him succeed, see if we can find something … His ability to rebound and run has been impressive, initiating offense."

🏀 James Nnaji, on the other hand, was active on Thursday but logged only seven minutes, the fewest among all Knicks who checked into the contest. This in a game in which New York was missing Dadiet, McCullar Jr, Hukporti and Diawara.

Yikes.

It certainly seems as if Diawara has the inside track on that final rookie contract roster spot (assuming NY decides to go that route).

🏀 Are we seeing our first Mike Brown-inspired impact on the Bockers' offense?

Per AOP_NBA, "through three summer league games, the Knicks have the third-fastest time crossing halfcourt and the third-fastest time to get into their first action. Last season, they were the slowest team in the league to get into their first action."

Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Bink acknowledged Brown's desire to speed up the tempo, starting in Vegas. "We've communicated foundationally on what we want to do on both sides of the ball," Bink said. "A huge part of it — and he talked about it with you guys in his presser — is just playing fast."

"It doesn't just mean playing up and down, like we have to get out in transition. The fast part is all of the stuff in our actions," Bink explained. "If we get the ball up the floor quickly and don't have anything, we're on to the next action. Fast is really decision-making, playing with a '.5' mentality. That's fast, too. I think a lot of our guys early on … we want to play fast, but we don't want to play rushed. We want to make quick decisions."

🏀 The Knicks have reportedly (via Fred Katz of the Athletic) made the first outside addition to Mike Brown's staff, adding player development coach Riccardo Fois (Pronounced "FOYCE").

Fois was born in Italy but moved to the US as a teenager to pursue his hoop dreams. He played at Pepperdine University for two years before playing professionally in the Italian 3rd-tier Serie B league from 2009 to 2012. He then began his coaching journey, serving as a graduate assistant for the men's basketball program at Pepperdine University before spending five seasons under Mark Few at Gonzaga.

Fois then graduated to the NBA, joining the Suns as a player development coach. One of the players Fois coached in Phoenix was Mikal Bridges, who has spoken highly of the Italian. "Riccardo is one of the most hard working people I know," Bridges said in 2021. "All he cares about is getting people better and winning. The best thing about him is that he's an even greater person. He helped me a lot with developing my game and never letting me get too comfortable."

Last season, Fois joined Brown's staff in Sacramento.

🏀 The Knicks announced Wednesday that Josh Hart underwent a procedure on his right ring finger due to an injury sustained in the playoffs. The team says Hart will resume basketball activities later in the summer.

Hart said he initially injured the finger in New York's second-round series vs. Boston.

In 2024-25, Hart led the NBA in minutes per game (37.6 MPG) and averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 52.5% from the field. He started every game he appeared in until Thibs bumped him to the bench in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

It will be very interesting to see if Mike Brown decides to use Hart as his Sixth Man or a starter.

🏀 Miles McBride has been making the media rounds this month to promote his new children's book, "Deuce: The Champion of Friendship"

Deuce, who is a new dad himself, released the 40-page story last month. "With powerful themes of empathy, inclusion, and teamwork, Deuce reminds readers that real champions aren't just the ones who win games—they're the ones who lift others up… A heartwarming tribute to friendship, perseverance, and the power of standing together."

The book is available for purchase on Amazon.

🏀 Next Up:
The Knicks will play their fifth and final Summer League game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST against the Wizards. It will be televised on NBA TV. Like New York, Washington has posted a 1-3 record through their first four contests.