Tyler Kolek Shares Insight on Playing Alongside Jalen Brunson After Win vs. Pistons

After getting their first win on Tuesday at home against the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks followed it up with their first win on the road, defeating the Chicago Bulls 133-127 after coming back from a 19-point deficit. 

The Knicks were led by a monster game from star player Jalen Brunson, who led the way with 38 points on an efficient 13-for-25 shooting. Overall, this was another game where the Knicks’ starters shot the ball well, helping them get another win. 

Tyler Kolek also put in a strong effort in this game as he finished with 9 points and 9 assists. He’s had to step up in place of guard Jose Alvarado, who’s been out with an injury. After the game, Kolek talked about playing with Brunson, as well as this team’s confidence to win games down the stretch. 

“He’s a great guy to play off of,” Kolek said. “He’s going to get double-teamed; you’re going to get open shots… We’re a veteran group; we’ve done that in the Eastern Conference Finals, in the Finals, tight games. We’re going to get it done.”

That kind of confidence is exactly what the Knicks have been lacking to start the season. Their 0-3 start made many wonder what exactly went wrong with this team after such a dominant playoff run. 

Seeing players acknowledge how good this team can be in certain situations has to be encouraging for the group, especially coming from someone who doesn’t normally see the court this much. 

Tyler Kolek has progressed into a solid guard to come off the bench for the Knicks moving forward, and it will be interesting to see what his minutes look like as the season continues. 

He shot 3-for-4 in this game and was able to be a great facilitator for this group. Those kinds of performances are important to have as a player who’s looking for extra time on the court.  

Moving forward, if the Knicks find a way to get back to winning games like this and find their confidence again, they’re as dangerous as ever. 

This is a team that likes to play at a fast pace on both ends while shooting the ball at a consistent rate. They can attack opponents in different ways, but they were not necessarily doing that in their first three games. 

Now that they’ve won two in a row, they can keep the momentum going and win more. The Knicks are known to be a team that plays better with momentum, and they have a chance to continue their elite play.