SummerNuggets 89, SummerKnicks 86: Knicks end Summer League with a tough loss

The News York Knicks were behind the eight ball when it came time to tip off for the final game of their 2023 Summer League campaign. Oftentimes NBA teams will rest their top prospects for the final game or two of Summer League. The Knicks didn’t have top prosects in Vegas this year, but they still sat arguably their four best players for Saturday’s finale: DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown, Jr., Jaylen Martin and Isaiah Roby.

And the Nuggets took full advantage of the Knicks’ shorthanded lineup right out of the gate, building a quick 17-point advantage. But don’t you dare count out Dice Yoshimoto’s Knicks of Summer! They stormed back to take the lead thanks to 17 fourth-quarter points from QJ Peterson.

Unfortunately, the Nuggets rallied and knocked off the Knicks, 89-86. I’m impressed with Dice’s Gang putting up such a fight without their best players. Yoshimoto coached a far more talented SL squad to the championship game last season, and he did a great job with a limited roster in 2023. That dude can coach!

And so we bid adieu to the 2023 Summer Knicks. We’ll have some thoughts on the individual players in the coming days. Until then, you can read our profile on Charlie Brown Jr., their top dog in Vegas.