Rookie guard Kam Jones posted 21 points and 11 assists and forward Enrique Freeman had 18 points and 10 rebounds to help the Pacers outlast the Knicks 91-88 Thursday in their fourth NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The Pacers, who led by as many as 17 points, improved to 2-2 in NBA Summer League. The play their last game in the event at 9 p.m., Friday against the Pelicans. The Knicks fell to 1-3.
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Buddy Boeheim added 12 points for the Pacers.
Forward MarJon Beauchamp led the Knicks and all scorers with 28 points. Guard Tyler Kolek added 14 points.
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Here are three key takeaways.
Kam Jones had a double-double, but also some slip-ups
Kam Jones spent his first three years at Marquette playing shooting guard while Tyler Kolek played point, then moved over his senior year to take the point guard job when Kolek left for the NBA.
It was somewhat fitting, then, that Jones played the first three games of his first NBA Summer League at shooting guard until the Pacers played Kolek’s Knicks.
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Two-way contract point guard RayJ Dennis sat out the Pacers’ fourth game of Summer League along with two-way guard Quenton Jackson and standard contract wing Johnny Furphy. Dennis had been handling point guard duties primarily for the first three games and his absence allowed Jones more time to run the offense.
Just as he did at Marquette, Jones showed a capacity to create for himself and others with crafty drives to the lane, smooth spin moves, good touch on the floaters and the ability to score with either hand at the rim. He has some shooting range, though he’s occasionally streaky, and that also played a part in his game Thursday. He finished with 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting including 2-of-7 from 3-point range. He dished out 11 assists to one turnover and also recorded a steal and three rebounds.
That said, Jones had some defensive lapses and forced some action both as a shooter and a passer in the second half. There were some plays when he didn’t even look to pass and forced shots and others when he threw home-run passes into traffic. He also got burned by Kolek a few times, allowing an easy layup on a backdoor cut at one point and then allowing him space for a game-tying jumper late in the game.
Still, Jones came through down the stretch, particularly with a pocket-pass dish off an elbow pick-and-roll to Freeman for a layup that tied the score at 88 with 39 seconds to go. The Pacers got a stop on the next possession and then hit three free throws that ended up making the difference.
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Enrique Freeman makes two-way contract case
Enrique Freeman was the only player who spent last season on a two-way contract for the Pacers last season who was still on the floor for the Summer League’s fourth game, and that suggests his position is the most tenuous. Jackson’s two-way deal for next season has already been announced and with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton out for the season with an Achilles tendon tear, Dennis seems safe as he brings point guard depth. But Freeman seems to be locked in a battle with No. 54 overall pick Taelon Peter, the surprise choice out of Liberty who has acquitted himself well in his first Summer League.
Positional concerns might help Peter more as the Pacers have four centers under contract plus four players who can handle power forward in Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, Johnny Furphy and Jarace Walker. The 6-7 Freeman clearly functions as a small-ball center and the Pacers have four bigger options at the 5 as they’re trying to replace Myles Turner. That said, Freeman made some contributions to the Pacers in 2024-25 and more for the Mad Ants, and he made a good case to be kept around on Thursday.
Freeman posted 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and hit on one of his two 3-point attempts. He was 3-of-6 at the line, and though he missed two free throws with five seconds to go that could have put the game away a little earlier, the two he hit with 28 seconds to go ended up holding up as the difference. He was a force on the glass and the offensive rebound he grabbed to earn those two free throws turned out to be the game’s most important play. He also had four assists and a key blocked shot.
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Freeman’s fate might come down to whether the Pacers want more depth in the frontcourt or on the wing and he’d be a lot safer if he were 6-9 or 6-10. But he continues to do what he does well and the fact he was still showing real investment with the Pacers already eliminated from Summer League playoff contention helps his cause.
Pacers get strong contributions from the G League bound
The final games of the Summer League when the top players have been shut down allow for players to fight for organizational depth positions — in other words, G League spots — as well as opportunities in other organizations including those overseas.
With Furphy, Jackson and Dennis out, the Pacers had a few players at that level step up with some strong moments that might help them earn spots on the Noblesville Boom or elsewhere.
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Buddy Boeheim — the former Syracuse star and son of Orange coaching legend Jim Boeheim — got the start at small forward and scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting including 3-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc, which tracks for a player who hit 309 career college 3-pointers. Guard Hunter Maldonado, a former Wyoming star, played 24 minutes off the bench and made an impact with his defense. He scored seven points but also grabbed four rebounds and three steals and made Beauchamp’s life a little harder in the second half.
Former Creighton guard Steven Ashworth has had some struggles in this event, but he hit a pair of 3-pointers off the bench and dished out four assists. Former East Carolina star RJ Felton and former Tennessee star Josiah Jordan-James — who spent last season with the Mad Ants — each hit key 3-pointers.
Pacers Summer League schedule, how to watch, TV channel
Thursday, July 10: Pacers 116, Cavs 115 (takeaways; box score)
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Saturday, July 12: Thunder 104, Pacers 85 (takeaways; box score)
Monday, July 14: Bulls 114, Pacers 105 (takeaways; box score)
Thursday, July 17: Pacers 91, Knicks 88
Friday, July 18: Pacers vs. Pelicans, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA Summer League: Pacers get big days from Kam Jones, Enrique Freeman vs Knicks