Knox gives Knicks fans hope with summer league showing

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Some New York Knicks fans already are reconsidering their feelings about first-round pick Kevin Knox.

The No. 9 selection out of Kentucky was booed by some Knicks fans on draft night, but the 18-year-old is already showing great potential. He ended pool play as the No. 3 scorer in the Las Vegas summer league with 23.3 points per game, and he averaged seven rebounds per contest. Social media is abuzz with Knicks fans hoping the 6-foot-9 forward is the right player to team up with Kristaps Porzingis and help the Knicks return to glory.

Knox had 29 points and nine rebounds Tuesday in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He made 5 of 7 3-pointers against the Lakers after struggling from deep in the first two games in Las Vegas. He scored 16 points during a 30-3 Knicks run that gave New York its only lead early in the fourth quarter.

He'll be in action again Thursday when the Knicks play the Boston Celtics in tournament action.

Knox has shown a little something different in each game in Las Vegas. In a loss to Utah on Sunday, he only made 5 of 15 shots but he went 7 of 8 from the line and had two steals. Before that, he had 22 points on 8 of 20 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds in a win over Atlanta on Saturday.

Knox showed the potential to be a big-time scorer as a college freshman. He averaged 15.6 points and was the leading scorer for a Kentucky squad that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

He's not the only rookie from Kentucky making things happen in Las Vegas.

—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 11th overall pick, is averaging 19.7 points and shooting 45 percent for the Los Angeles Clippers.

—Hamidou Diallo, a second-round pick, is averaging 9.3 points per game while shooting 53 percent for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Wednesday's summaries:

CLIPPERS 89, WIZARDS 74

Reggie Upshaw scored 24 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 17 points and six assists to help Los Angeles defeat Washington in their opening tournament game.

Jerome Robinson scored 15 points and Angel Delgado added 14 for the Clippers.

Devin Robinson had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Aaron Harrison added 12 points for the Wizards.

The Clippers dominated most of the game. They led 31-15 at the end of the first quarter and took their largest lead of 28 points late in the third quarter. Washington cut its deficit to 10 in the fourth quarter.

The Clippers advanced to play the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The Lakers were unbeaten in pool play and earned a bye.

CAVALIERS 96, KINGS 84

First-round pick Collin Sexton had 25 points and seven assists to help Cleveland win its tournament opener over Sacramento.

Sexton, who played just one year at Alabama, made 9 of 15 field goals and 7 of 9 free throws. Jamel Artis scored 14 points and Okaro White added 13 for Cleveland.

Justin Jackson scored 20 points and Zach Auguste added 19 for the Kings.

Cleveland led nearly the entire game and was up 20 points in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers will play the Houston Rockets in the second round.

ROCKETS 109, NETS 102

Danuel House had 18 points and eight rebounds to help Houston win its tournament opener over Brooklyn.

De'Anthony Melton, a second-round pick from USC, scored 17 points for Houston. Zhou Qi scored 17 points and Deng Adel and RJ Hunter each scored 13 points for the Rockets, who never trailed.

Milton Doyle scored 21 points, Shawn Dawson scored 15 points and Theo Pinson added 14 for the Nets.

BULLS 95, MAVERICKS 83

Antonio Blakeney scored 28 points to help Chicago beat Dallas in its tournament opener.

Blakeney, the G-League Rookie of the Year last season, made 7 of 13 field goals and all 10 of his free throw attempts.

Wendell Carter, the No. 7 overall pick from Duke, scored 19 points for the Bulls. Chandler Hutchinson added 16 points and 11 rebounds and Donte Ingram added 13 points for Chicago.

Kyle Collinsworth scored 14 points and Phil Greene and Josh Adams added 10 each for the Mavericks.

PISTONS 64, TIMBERWOLVES 59

Second-round pick Bruce Brown had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and made a pair of free throws with 1.4 seconds left to help Detroit (2-2) hold off Minnesota.

The Timberwolves closed a 19-point halftime deficit down to 47-43 by the end of the third quarter and briefly led early in the fourth. But Detroit retook the lead and Minnesota missed a pair of 3-point attempts that would have tied it in the final minute.

Khyri Thomas made a pair of free throws with 6.5 seconds left to make it a two-possession game for the Pistons.

Keita Bates-Diop had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves (2-2).

Detroit will face Chicago in the second round.

HAWKS 107, PACERS 101

Tyler Dorsey had 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists and No. 5 pick Trae Young added 23 points and eight assists to help Atlanta (2-2) knock off Indiana.

Atlanta trailed by 27 early in the third quarter and erased the deficit at 90-89 early in the fourth — the Hawks' first lead since the opening basket.

Young had five of his eight assists in the fourth quarter and sank a runner with 11.1 seconds left to give Atlanta a four-point lead.

Alex Pothyress had 21 points, Aaron Holiday had 13 points and nine assists, and Alize Johnson had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers (1-3).

Atlanta will face the No. 2 seed Trail Blazers who earned a bye to advance to the second round.

RAPTORS 85, NUGGETS 77

OG Anunoby scored 22 points to help the Raptors (1-3) beat the Nuggets.

Giddy Potts added 14 points and Chris Boucher scored 12. Potts was 4 of 7 from 3-point range and Boucher had six blocks.

The Raptors took the lead during a 16-0 run to open the fourth quarter and mostly led by double digits the rest of the way.

Monte Morris had 21 points and Malik Beasley scored 19 for the Nuggets (3-1).

The Nuggets will face the Hornets in the second round.

HORNETS 87, WARRIORS 67

Dwayne Bacon scored 19 points and Willy Hernangomez had 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the Hornets (3-1) top the Warriors.

Miles Bridges, the No. 12 overall selection, added 17 points and eight boards for Charlotte.

Marcus Derrickson had 20 points and Rion Brown scored 13 for the Warriors.

Charlotte never trailed in the contest.

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