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Good news and bad news from 86-104 Summer League loss to Pistons

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 8:45 PM ET

The New York Knicks opened their Summer League campaign on a sour note Friday, losing mercifully to the Detroit Pistons by a score of 86-104. Despite the loss, there are still some encouraging signs from some key names taking part in the festivities.

Ariel Hukporti and Pacome Dadiet impressed for the Knicks

Ariel Hukporti and Pacome Dadiet, two of the Knicks’ draft picks from last summer, both had impressive outings in their first Summer League game Friday.

Both players got the start and made some very impressive plays. Hukporti finished with six points, five rebounds, and two blocks in 20 minutes of action. Hukporti is vying for a spot in the rotation under new head coach Mike Brown, potentially as a backup center, and he showed some signs of life in the frontcourt.

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Dadiet led all scorers for New York with 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the floor and 1-for-3 from three. Dadiet, who was drafted in the first round by New York last year, has been tabbed as a project who could blossom into a strong rotation piece as he continues to develop, and he demonstrated a strong scoring ability on Friday.

Tyler Kolek had an up-and-down game. He had 10 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, but turned the ball over five times and shot 0-for-5 from three. The turnovers were rather uncharacteristic, but luckily Summer League is meant for development, with the outcome being meaningless.

The Knicks had no answer for Ron Holland

Pistons guard Ron Holland II tormented the Knicks, and New York had no answer for the former lottery pick. Holland scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while shooting 8-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-5 from three in just 28 minutes of action.

Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Holland is undoubtedly the most experienced player who played in Friday’s contest, and his NBA experience was on full display. The Knicks had no answer for him and couldn’t slow him down, which led to Detroit gaining a big lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

New York also failed to properly respond to Holland’s hot scoring. They shot just 6-for-27 from three-point range as a team, one of which was a Mohamed Diawara full-court heave at the end of the third quarter that went in.

Overview

The Knicks’ first Summer League game of 2025 did not go as expected, and they will hope to bounce back in their next game, which is set for Sunday at 5:30 PM EST against the Boston Celtics.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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