The New York Knicks ended their preseason on a sour note Wednesday night, losing to the Washington Wizards in blowout fashion by a score of 131-106. The Knicks finish the preseason with a 1-3 record.
The Knicks struggled to defend the three-ball
The story of the night was the Knicks’ struggles guarding the three, as they allowed the Wizards to shoot 20-45 (44%) from beyond the arc. They really missed Immanuel Quickley’s presence Wednesday, as he did not play due to being “nicked up”, according to head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Jordan Poole lit up the Knicks
Jordan Poole got any shot he wanted in this one, dropping 41 points on 10-19 shooting and 6-12 from three. Mike Muscala also added 20 points and knocked down five threes for Washington.
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Julius Randle looks regular-season ready
On a more positive note, Julius Randle played exceptionally well, as he scored 20 points on 8-15 shooting (4-6 from three) and added 10 rebounds to his tally in 29 minutes of action. If there were any doubts surrounding his health after undergoing offseason ankle surgery, those concerns certainly have faded.
Barrett and Robinson stood out
RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson also turned in solid performances, as Barrett added in 19 points on 8-19 and 3-7 from beyond the arc, while Robinson secured a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The backcourt failed to convert shots
However, the Knicks’ backcourt really struggled in this one, as Jalen Brunson could not convert tough shots and went just 3-12 from the field and scored just 12 points in 25 minutes, while Quentin Grimes only scored five points the night after scoring 22.
The regular season is nearly here
The Knicks will have exactly one week to fix what hurt them in this game, but they will have to improve upon this performance, as their next game is one that actually matters toward their regular season record.
New York opens the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 25 against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. The game tips-off at 7:30 p.m. EST, and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
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