The New York Knicks' chances to make a second straight appearance in the Vegas Summer League's championship likely took a fatal blow on Sunday evening, as their prospect team dropped a 98-80 decision to the Brooklyn Nets.
Playing without veteran DaQuan Jeffries due to a hip injury, the Knicks (0-2) had several lingering areas of optimism: Overtime Elite-based project Jaylen Martin had 15 points and six assists, one tally behind leading scorer Charlie Brown Jr. Isaiah Roby recovered from a tough New York debut with 12 points and six rebounds while Dmytro Skapintsev matched him with a dozen off the bench, which saw Marcus Garrett lead the team with seven rebounds.
Alas for the Knicks, they failed to withstand a speedy Nets unit that saw them outscore their Manhattan rivals 26-2 in the fastbreak. A two-point halftime lead for Brooklyn (1-1) ballooned into a one-sided affair, as the Nets had 51-31 advantage over the final 20 minutes. The Knicks missed each of their first eight attempts from the field to open the third quarter.
Four of the Nets' five starters reached double figures, paced by 21 for Armoni Brooks.
The Knicks' prospects will return to action on Wednesday night when they face those of the Orlando Magic (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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