Nuggets free agent Wafer saves best for last in defeat

Marcus Banks has company.

The Phoenix Suns guard from Las Vegas, who set an NBA Summer League record on July 9 with 42 points against Cleveland, had his mark equaled Sunday by Denver's Von Wafer, who scored 42 in the Nuggets' 116-108 loss to the New York Knicks at Cox Pavilion.

Wafer didn't start and had six points at the end of the first quarter. But he heated up as the game went along. By the end of the third period, he had 23 points. He saved his best for last, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter on 6-for-9 shooting from the floor.

He had a chance to break Banks' record in the final seconds, but with the fans urging him on, the 6-foot-5-inch guard's 3-point shot just before the buzzer caromed off the back of the rim.

"I heard them," Wafer said of the fans. "It would have been a little better if we had won the game. It's exciting though. People dream of these kind of situations. I had a feeling that I was hot, and my teammates kept getting me the ball where I could score."

Wafer, a free agent who played last season in the D-League for Colorado, will be in the Nuggets' fall training camp in October after leading Denver in scoring with an average of 24.2 points per game.

"I just wanted to come out and have a good summer league," said Wafer, who was drafted in the second round by the Lakers in 2005. "I just tried to play hard and play my game. That's all I can do. Hopefully, I impressed them enough."

Banks didn't play the rest of the summer league after his 42-point game because of a slightly separated left shoulder, which he injured in a scrimmage Tuesday against Detroit.

• KNICKS CO-CHAMPS -- With Sunday's win over Denver, the New York Knicks joined the Dallas Mavericks as the only teams to go undefeated in the summer league. Both teams sported 5-0 records to share the championship.

Every team won at least one game with the exception of New Orleans and Seattle. The Hornets and SuperSonics both wound up 0-5.

• NATE IS GREAT -- The Knicks' Nate Robinson was selected as the outstanding player of the summer league after averaging 19.6 points and 6.0 assists per game to help lead his team to a share of the title.

Houston's Aaron Brooks was selected as the outstanding rookie. Brooks, a 6-foot guard from Oregon, led the Rockets in scoring (22.5) and assists (5.5).

• DURANT FINISHES STRONG -- Seattle rookie forward Kevin Durant closed his summer league stint with a 28-point performance in the Sonics' 84-78 loss to Portland. In four games, Durant averaged 24 points.

Durant will be back in town Friday to participate in USA Basketball's minicamp at Cox Pavilion.