LAS VEGAS – Unlike so many who visit Sin City, Tyler Kolek left in a much better position than when he arrived.
It’s not a stretch to say that the Knicks probably won’t win the NBA Cup without him. Jalen Brunson even said it himself. It’s no stretch that these two Vegas matches – the semifinals and the finals – were the two best of his young career.
It’s not like these performances could impact the Knicks’ potential desire to trade for an upgrade at backup point guard.
He was key to the Knicks’ fourth-quarter turnaround during their 124-113 win over the Spurs Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.
“He played great,” Jalen Brunson said. “I’m very happy for him. Maybe a surprise to some people, but none of you see how hard this kid works. I’m just very happy for him and the way he played tonight. It definitely helped us – we needed him. He works so hard, I’m very happy for him. This is a great time for him.”
After trailing for most of the game, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 16 points in the fourth quarter, and Kolek played nearly the entire game.
It was him, not Mikal Bridges, who had coach Mike Brown on the floor. He finished with 14 points, five assists and five rebounds and was plus-14.
Spurs defenders aggressively pressured ballhandlers all night, especially Brunson. Brown’s decision to play Kolek next to him, allowing another ballhandler to get off the floor and pressure Brunson, worked like a charm.
Tuesday’s performance followed a breakout effort in Saturday’s semifinal against the Magic, when he similarly played key minutes in the fourth quarter.
“If you’re a newcomer, a young guy, if you appreciate the game, you have to look at what he does and how he finds his ability to get on the field and stay on the field,” Josh Hart said. “And you have to base yourself on that.”
Kolek is expected to make about $2 million this year. The prize money for winning the cup is $530,933 per player.
As Hart scored the final basket of the game, he looked at Kolek and showed a money sign with his hands.
It was fitting, because in Vegas he became Kasino Kolek.
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