Knicks Roll Over Sonics in Vegas Opener

While the Seattle SuperSonics' roster boasted the second and fifth overall selections in last month's draft in Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, it was the Knicks' rookie duo of Wilson Chandler and Demetris Nichols that led the Knicks to an impressive 87-74 win in their Summer League opener on Monday night in Las Vegas.

This wasn't just a two man show for the Knicks, however, as first-year player Randolph Morris and veterans Renaldo Balkman and Nate Robinson combined to make it a total team effort.

In his Knicks debut, Chandler scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward out of DePaul showed the athleticism that prompted Knicks President, Basketball Operations, and Head Coach Isiah Thomas to tab him with the 23rd overall selection. Chandler showed great court vision, connecting with Balkman for a pair of long distance monster dunks late in the first half.

Nichols, a second-round pick out of Syracuse who was traded to the Knicks from Portland, was the game's best player in the first half and led the team in scoring at halftime with 11 points. He finished his night with 13 points on six for 12 shooting. Drafted for his ability to drain the jumper as well as drive to the net, the 6-8, 216-pound guard from Syracuse showed he has more than a sweet shot to his game, grabbing two rebounds, dishing out three assists and a recording a pair of well-timed blocks.

Down low, Morris dominated inside for New York. His two spectacular blocks off Durant early in the first half set the defensive tone for the rest of the game. Preparing for his first full NBA season, the center recorded a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds, along with two steals and two blocks.

Balkman played a nearly perfect game, especially on the defensive front, and held Durant to a 20.5 percent field goal percentage by shooting a dismal 4-for-19.

"I wasn't in the game tonight, I struggled," said a disappointed Durant. "As the game went on, we got a little better, played a little harder and that's what is most important."

Continuing his popular, high-energy act with spectacular dunks and all-out hustle, Balkman finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end. He also added one assist, one steal and a pair of blocks.

The squad's veteran Robinson, playing in his third Summer League event, led the Knicks with 19 points. The 5-7, 180-pound guard also added seven assists and three rebounds as he guided the young squad to an impressive opening night triumph.

The Knicks used a 26-14 second quarter to break the game open and lead by as many as 20 points (49-29) with 1:28 left in the second quarter.

It was a truly dominating experience as New York outplayed Seattle in every facet of the game. The Knicks shot 47.8 percent from the field while limiting the Sonics to 37.7 percent. They also outrebounded Seattle 36 to 30, edged the Sonics on the boards 22 to 21 and forced them into 26 turnovers.

Tuesday evening, the Knicks face Team China at 10:00 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on NBA TV and webcast live on NBA.com.