Knicks Dethrone Kings to Remain Undefeated
• Boxscore
The Knicks faced off against another undefeated team in the NBA Summer League on Thursday night, and they easily dismissed Sacramento 96-84. The victory left the Knicks as one of only two unbeatens remaining in Las Vegas.
While the Knicks' 3-0 record is certainly impressive, nothing made a bigger impression on Thursday than the play of Nate Robinson, who notched a double-double. Robinson's game served as a statement as to how much he plans to contribute in the upcoming season.
The game was never a contest for most of the night, as New York lead by as many as 22 points, proving to be the far superior team. Led by Robinson, whose spectacular first half stat line read 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting with seven assists and three rebounds, New York ran out to an 18 point lead at the half.
Forced to leave the game for much of the second half after getting hit in the eye midway through the third quarter, Robinson finished with 21 points, 10 assists and four rebounds.
Renaldo Balkman, the other Knicks veteran competing in Summer League, continued bringing fans in Vegas to their feet with his all-out play and emphatic dunks. The hustling forward showed the offensive side of his game, recording 18 points along with five rebounds, two assists and one monster block late in the second quarter. His two-handed power dunk with 1:30 left in the game put it out of reach after a late run by the Kings brought them all the way back to within four points.
Meanwhile, Wilson Chandler played his best game at the Summer League to date, demonstrating a unique ability to score in bunches while also playing spectacular defense. The athletic forward, who plays with a style much like that of Balkman and David Lee, finished the night with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, four rebounds, two steals and four well timed blocks.
Demetris Nichols, the other 2007 draft pick on the squad, continued to make a statement with his lights-out shooting. Last year's leading scorer in the Big East also shot 6-for-10 from the floor for 17 points and nailed three of four from behind the three-point arc. Nichols also recorded three assists, two rebounds and a blocked shot.
The Knicks fed the ball down low to Randolph Morris early and often on Thursday, exercising a game plan they will likely employ during the regular season with Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph. And much like those veterans, Morris delivered. Matching up against this year's 10h overall draft pick, Spencer Hawes, Morris dominated his opponent on the offensive end, validating President, Basketball Operations, and Head Coach Isiah Thomas assertion that the former Wildcat star would have been a lottery pick during June’s draft. Morris finished the game with yet another double-double, scoring ten points along with 11 rebounds and a pair of steals.
For the third straight game, the Knicks played flawless defense, limiting Sacramento to only two points in the first 5:35 of the game. The Kings only started to get their points after New York underwent wholesale substitutions, implementing their second squad.
With two games remaining on Saturday and Sunday, the Knicks are now guaranteed of returning home to New York with a winning record.
