G League Knicks Win Back-to-Back In-Season Championships

The New York Knicks' Golden Eagle soared on Sunday night in Orlando.

Tyler Kolek put forth an MVP effort as the Knicks' G League affiliate from Westchester earned another in-season championship, topping the Sioux Falls Skyforce 125-119 in the Winter Showcase championship. Westchester successfully defended its title from last year, becoming the first team to win consecutive in-season titles in the NBA G League.

Sent to Orlando earlier on Sunday, Kolek took home MVP honors, coming five rebounds short of a triple-double with 21 points and 11 assists. T.J. Warren scored 24 points while Moses Brown joined Kolek in the double-double brotherhood with 16 rebounds and 14 tallies. Kolek was one of three Knicks to sink at least a trio of triples alongside Warren and Donovan Williams, who had four.

Westchester was in danger of not getting a chance to defend its title but rattled off six consecutive victories at the end the 16-game qualification portion to earn the fourth seed on the eight-team bracket. They took down the affiliates of Phoenix and Denver before capping things off with Sunday's triumph over Miami's. Kolek and his fellow rookies/draft classmates Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti played major roles in securing the spot through commuting from Manhattan to Westchester.

Kolek, in fact, had been stationed in New Orleans, where he took in the NBA Knicks' Saturday win over the local Pelicans. Westchester was glad he made the trip, as he came off the bench to keep the Knicks in the game when Sioux Falls threatened to pull away in the first half. Of note, a Kolek triple with 3:20 remaining in the third allowed the Knicks to embark on a momentum-shifting run that allowed the trophy etching to commence.

That try from deep was the start of a 17-4 run to close out the period and Kolek had a role in 11 of the tallies with two assists (including a show-stopping alley-oop to Brown) and six of the point. Westchester won the period 37-18 overall and extended its lead to 16 in the final frame. Nassir Little sank a three to slice the lead to eight just before the three-minute mark but Kolek provided the assists on de facto daggers to Brown and Damion Baugh.

First-rounders from elsewhere led the way for the Skyforce: Little united with Josh Christopher for 59 points, the latter earning a 31-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Westchester opens the G League regular season on Friday, when they face the Motor City Cruise in White Plains (7 p.m. ET, NBAGLeague.com).

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