Shorthanded Knicks overcome Hornets for 113-108 win in preseason finale

The deliberately short-handed Knicks wrapped up their preseason slate on a high note, outlasting the Hornets, 113-108, on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways…

— As much as the Knicks wanted their final exhibition game to serve as a proper dress rehearsal with the regular season opener less than a week away, head coach Mike Brown ultimately erred on the side of caution with a few banged-up starters. Before the game, he ruled out Josh Hart (back), Karl-Anthony Towns (quad), and OG Anunoby (ankle) as preventative measures. Mitchell Robinson (load management) was also given the night off.

— The emphasis on quicker ball movement and frequent three-point shooting was apparent from the jump. As the Knicks' only lineup regulars, Jalen Brunson tallied 15 first-quarter points (12 shots) with two assists and two rebounds across 11 minutes, while Mikal Bridges added five points with four boards in seven minutes. The planned rest for key players pushed Jordan Clarkson into the starting five, and he demonstrated his value as an impact bench scorer by posting eight points with a pair of made threes. Overall, the Knicks shot 39 percent (7 of 18) from beyond the arc in the period.

— Among the bench players competing for a roster spot is Landry Shamet, and the veteran guard showed some shrewd physicality in the second quarter by forcing a couple of Hornets turnovers. He also scored five points in 11 minutes. Tyler Kolek logged the fewest first-half minutes (6) in the 10-man rotation, and before halftime, Brunson produced 20 points (7 of 15 shooting) and appeared to debut a new archery-style hand celebration. Circling back to that stress on three-point shots — the Knicks took 30 through 24 minutes. At the break, they held a 64-54 lead on 47-percent shooting.

— Brunson and Bridges didn't treat the preseason finale like a practice session. They maintained regular-season rhythms in the third quarter, combining for 12 points to push their game totals to 27 and 14, respectively. There was a brief injury scare for Miles McBride midway through the period, when he landed awkwardly on the baseline after having a runner emphatically rejected. While he got up gingerly with a limp, he stayed in the game and appeared to jog off the discomfort. The Knicks were outscored by seven points in the third, but still held a 90-87 advantage.

— The start of the fourth quarter didn't mark the end for the Knicks' pair of stars. Bridges continued to hustle in transition, pulling off a highlight-reel swat that preceded a one-handed slam midway through the period. Brunson, who was subbed out with 3:33 left in the third, checked back in with 7:41 remaining in regulation. Of course, it wasn't a dress rehearsal for three Knicks starters, but their captain lived up to midseason form with a laudable 31 points in 34 minutes. Bridges also performed at a high level, racking up 16 points with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks across 33 minutes.

— Brown has set a goal for the Knicks to average 40 threes per game this season, and they met the mark by posting 48 with a success rate of 38 percent. While the team struggled to contain Hornets starters Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton — they combined for 41 points — they still forced 21 turnovers and won the rebounds (44-41), steals (11-9), and paint points (40-34) battles. McBride found a groove off the bench, scoring 15 points with four assists in 24 minutes, while Shamet added six second-half points to finish with 11 over 20 minutes. Clarkson reached 13 points over 23 minutes.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks will begin regular-season play at home on Wednesday night, in a highly anticipated matchup with the Cavaliers (7 p.m. tip-off).

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