On Sunday, Tyler Kolek had quite the day, showing up in two distinct arenas.
First, he hit the court in the G League, where he scored 42 points, sinking 9 of 14 three-pointers, and dished out 11 assists. His impressive performance helped the Westchester Knicks secure a 141-131 win over the Greensboro Swarm. Shortly after, he was recalled by the Knicks and raced over to Madison Square Garden, contributing to their 145-113 triumph against the Wizards.
During the fourth quarter, the crowd at The Garden enthusiastically chanted, “We want Kolek,” and coach Mike Brown eventually gave in. Kolek joined the game for the last five minutes, impressively netting 11 points and draining three threes.
“It’s a remarkable achievement,” coach Brown remarked. “I can only imagine how strange it must be to play in a G League game earlier in the day and then shift to an NBA game. These athletes are professionals, and they really take care of their bodies. Our performance team does a fantastic job supporting them in that regard. It’s impressive that they can pull off such a feat.”
He added, “The team came out strong, and it was exciting to see Tyler hit those shots and hear the crowd rally behind him.”
As the Knicks celebrated their comfortable victory, chants of “Tyler Kolek, Tyler Kolek” filled the air at MSG. After the game, Kolek took a moment in the locker room, posing with a sign displaying the number 53, which represented his combined points across both games.
Jalen Brunson praised Kolek’s performance, stating, “It’s no easy task. He did well in the G League and then kept that momentum here. It shows his professionalism and character. He’s just one of many on this team who exemplifies a solid work ethic.”
“That’s just who he is,” he added.
Pacome Dadiette also stood out, scoring 32 points for Westchester and getting some late-game time with the Knicks that evening.
In a bit of news regarding team health, Brown mentioned that Landry Shamet missed the game due to knee soreness after he “smacked” it during Friday’s win against the Nets. He’s currently being assessed.
Thanks to their recent win and the Celtics’ loss, the Knicks are now just half a game from securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
As Karl-Anthony Towns put it, “Honestly, I don’t really pay attention to the standings. I had no idea about that. Right now, my focus is on this locker room and this team. I can’t influence what happens with Boston or Detroit.”
