Kings-Knicks Live Blog

1:48 first: A little live-blogging for this one, on account of the UW products. I've been half paying attention to this first quarter. I just looked up at the scoreboard and bam! It's 26-7 New York. Nate Robinson has five points and three assists, while Tre Simmons connected on a three-point play. Spencer Hawes had a goregous assist, but otherwise it's been tough going for him. Hawes has missed three of his four shots and got badly beaten on another New York three-point play.

6:32 second: Nate Robinson has been called for a technical. He thought he was fouled on a three-point attempt that missed everything. Robinson follows by stealing a crosscourt pass and leading the break (though Demetris Nichols blew a layup). The sequence continues with Renaldo Balkman blocking Hawes' shot (he and Kevin Durant now have something in common) and Nate sneaking an alley-oop feed over the rim.

Hawes with a nice offensive board and hook. He's up to 2-for-7 from the field.

Halftime: Huskies lead both teams in scoring. After missing five of his first six shots, Hawes has hit five of his last six. They haven't always been pretty in terms of footwork, but Hawes is showing off the touch that made him such a coveted prospect.

Robinson took his technical personally and had a huge second quarter, scoring 11 of his 16 points. Robinson shot 6-for-9 from the field and also handed out seven assists. Tre Simmons has not played as well, missing four of his five shot attempts.

The Knicks lead it comfortably, 57-39.

5:04 third: Not related to the Huskies, but exciting nonetheless: The highly-anticipated 2007 NBA Summer League debut of Daniel Artest for the Kings.

In Moneyball, Michael Lewis describes an A's scout as what you might get if you hammed Shaquille O'Neal until he stood 6-0. I feel that way about Daniel and his more famous brother Ron. Daniel has been guesstimated as going about 6-2, 300. For a complete profile, check out the DC Sports Bog.

Hawes just met a flying Renaldo Balkman at the summit but was called for a foul to the dismay of the Kings fans in attendance. "That's the worst call of summer league," yelled one.

2:35 third: Artest's stint is over. He grabbed a rebound in two minutes and did not attempt a shot. He's playing power forward and clearly does move abnormally well for a guy of his girth, although not well enough to avoid getting dunked on by Wilson Chandler on a fast break.

End third: Quiet third quarter for the UW guys. Nate Robinson played only half the period. He's got 18 points and eight assists, both game highs. Spencer Hawes has 16 points, tied with Pooh Jeter atop the Kings. Hawes has shot 8-for-18 from the field but has just four rebounds in 27 minutes.

Being here ruins your perspective about height. I just spent hte last hour or two sitting next to 2006 Warriors second-round pick Kosta Perovic, who is listed at 7-2, and he frankly didn't seem that tall.

4:16 fourth: Don't call it a comeback. The Kings are playing hard and have gotten within six, 82-76. Nate Robinson checks in to try to right the Knicks.

Final: The Knicks make enough plays down the stretch to hang on for a 96-84 victory.

Nate hits a late three-pointer to finish with 21 points. He also handed out two late assists to give himself 10 for the game and a double-double on strong 7-for-13 shooting.

Hawes finishes with 22 points on 11-for-25 shooting. I think he might not have gotten enough credit for his left hand, which he used extensively and successfully today. Hoever, Hawes simply needs to create more easy shots for himself. Too many of his shots are challenging fadeaways. While he hits them at a relatively good percentage, those are low-percentage shots in general.

I'm going to go catch the end of the Clippers and Timberwolves on the other court, but I'm calling it a day for the blog.