DENVER — Pacôme Dadiet, the 2024 first-round pick who has spent much of this season in the G-League, finally took advantage of his NBA opportunity in Friday’s 142-103 Knicks win over the Nuggets.
The 20-year-old Frenchman went off for 11 points in just nine minutes of garbage time, helping send the Nuggets to their worst home loss since 1998 against Michael Jordan’s Bulls.
It was a career high in points for Dadiet, who shot 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
“He’s been playing well in the G-League and shooting the mess out of it,” coach Mike Brown said. “And he’s got great size. He’s young. And we want him to keep growing and developing. Anytime young guys like that see the ball go in and do those things on the floor in an NBA game, it helps with the belief. It helps not only in them believing and their confidence level going up, but also their teammates, too.”
Dadiet hadn’t played since Feb. 8 and never scored more than five points this season before Friday.
“It definitely feels good. Every time I go out there, I try to go out with confidence,” Dadiet said. “Because I know I’m not going to get that much time. So I’ve been working with the G-League team to get some reps and it definitely feels good.”
Josh Hart, an enthusiastic Yankees fan despite growing up in the D.C. area, will get his own bobblehead in The Bronx.
The Yankees announced Friday that Sept. 25 against the Orioles is Josh Hart Bobblehead Night, with the first 18,000 fans receiving his mini figure that is holding a bat in his left hand, a basketball in his right.
“I can’t wait for it. Obviously I love my Yanks,” Hart said Friday. “So being able to do that is super cool. I’m super excited when that opportunity came to us. And we really jumped on it.”
Hart is the grand-nephew of Yankees legendary catcher Elston Howard. He wore Howard’s No. 32 jersey while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Yankees game in September 2024.
This year, Hart’s bobblehead giveaway is the day before CC Sabathia’s jersey is retired at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s my first bobblehead doll ever,” Hart said. “So good vibes.”
If not for the controversial no-call in Wednesday’s loss to the Thunder, Jalen Brunson would’ve collected a career-best four charges drawn in one game.
But the refs swallowed their whistles in the first quarter — when Shai-Gilgeous Alexander appeared to charge into Brunson on a drive for what would’ve been his third foul — and the Knicks point guard finished the night with three charges drawn.
“Hopefully, there’s another opportunity to break the record,” Brunson said.
The official NBA referee X account defended the non-call, saying, “Brunson does not give Gilgeous-Alexander an opportunity to avoid contact.”
Brunson said Friday he didn’t see that post.
Either way, the point guard entered Friday leading the NBA in charges drawn with 25.
