Knicks guard Tyler Kolek fills in at backup point guard, then returns to bench role
The gist
Knicks guard Tyler Kolek posted 25 assists and two turnovers over four games while Jose Alvarado was injured.
Coach Mike Brown says Alvarado keeps the backup job, so Kolek's role may shrink.
How it unfolded
- Oct 25, 2026Knicks backup point guard Jose Alvarado suffers a left ankle sprain in a loss to the Orlando Magic.
- Oct 27, 2026Kolek throws a behind-the-back pass to Karl-Anthony Towns for a dunk in a Knicks win over the Detroit Pistons.
- During Alvarado's four-game absenceKolek records 25 assists against two turnovers in 57 minutes, averaging 15.8 assists per 36 minutes as Brunson's back-up.
Key terms
- point guard
- One of the five standard positions in basketball, typically the team's primary ball-handler and play organizer.
- NBA Cup
- An annual NBA tournament held during the regular season, split into group stage and knockout rounds.
- trade deadline
- A league-set date after which teams may no longer exchange players during a season.
Source: Wikipedia