New York Post

KP to play against potential No. 1 pick

- By MARC BERMAN

Kristaps Porzingis isn’t coming to Tarrytown just yet.

On Sunday, Latvia advanced to the quarterfin­als of the European Championsh­ips with a 100-68 bashing of Montenegro in eliminatio­n play.

Porzingis, the 7-foot-3 Knicks phenom, starred again with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes.

Latvia, with a record of 5-1, next plays Slovenia in the quarters. While team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry are in New York preparing for training camp that begins Sept. 25, the Knicks have a host of scouts and personnel men in Europe.

In Latvia-Slovenia, the Knicks’ brass can view not only Porzingis, but next year’s potential No. 1 pick, 6-foot-7 forward Luka Doncic. Also on Slovenia is exKnick Anthony Randolph and point guard Goran Dragic. Doncic plays small forward/shooting guard, so he likely won’t match up with Porzingis.

That the Knicks’ scouts are eyeing Doncic is consequent­ial. The Knicks’ new management team has stated in clear terms its goal this season is to develop young players, noting the team has all its first-round picks.

That seems code for a club looking to spend one more year in the lottery. Doncic, Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. and Duke forward Marvin Bagley III, who was able to reclassify and jump past his high school senior year, are expected to be the top three studs in what is expected to be a sensationa­l lottery.

Meanwhile, Knicks center Willy Hernangome­z also is still playing in the tournament as the stacked Spain club beat Turkey, 73-56, to advance to the quarterfin­als against Germany. Hernangome­z played just six minutes and scored two points.

Lithuania didn’t make the Round of 16, meaning Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas is soon on his way to New York. The championsh­ip game is Saturday.

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