Knicks 101, Warriors 88: Jericho Sims, Feron Hunt Take Over Summer League Opener
A win over the defending champions less than two weeks after his arrival? Maybe the Jalen Brunson signing is already paying off.
The newly-minted nine-digit man, admittedly, played no role in this New York Knicks victory on Friday night, those duties instead extended to Summer League stars Feron Hunt and Jericho Sims. Each back for a second summer in Las Vegas, Hunt had 17 points and seven steals while Sims put in a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double en route to an 101-88 Knicks victory as they tipped off the 2022 prospect showcase.
Even if there was no sign of Brunson, a recent signing managed to take center stage for New York: Sims, the recent signer of a three-year deal, helped the Knicks (1-0) keep pace with Golden State with a strong performance in the paint. Sims is back on his second Summer League excursion with the Knicks and appears to be continuing his previous Vegas heater: he was second on last year's group with 8.2 rebounds per game, second to only Obi Toppin, who was on hand as a spectator on Friday.
Hunt, on the other hand, was the headlining piece of a New York defensive effort that forced 23 Golden State turnovers. He stepped out after the third quarter, which saw the Knicks outscored Golden State by a 20-10 margin over the final five minutes before watching their lead reach as high as 23 in the final frame.
Sims played a major role in the creation of the game-changing run, tying the game and giving the Knicks a permanent lead by finishing off consecutive alley-oops from Trevor Keels and Miles McBride. Quentin Grimes struggled in the early going, but headlined a 24-21 advantage in the final quarter for the Knicks, putting in 11 of his 24 points over the final 10 minutes.
Moses Moody handled a bulk of the scoring for the Warriors (0-1) with 34. James Wiseman, a touted second overall selection from the 2020 draft did not play due to injury while 2021's No. 7 pick, Jonathan Kuminga, shot 2-of-10 from field.
The Knicks return to action on Sunday late afternoon when they battle the Chicago Bulls (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Chicago's prospects (1-0) earned a 100-99 win over those of Dallas in their opener earlier on Friday.
