On Friday evening, the New York Knicks (2-2) played their fourth contest of the NBA Summer League season. This one was a blowout-that-suddenly-wasn’t against the Detroit Pistons (2-2) at the Pavilion in Las Vegas.
The Knicks carried a slim lead through the first quarter, thanks to Tyler Kolek’s impressive passing, Rokas Jokubaitis’ thefty defense, and Duane Washington Jr.’s scoring. Despite a brief slump, the Knicks pulled ahead with an 11-point run in the second quarter and led 55-44 by halftime. The Knicks stretched their lead to 20 points in the third quarter, but Detroit fought all the way back in the fourth quarter, cutting the differential to one point.