Knicks Close Out Preseason with 94-92 Win over Nets

Jared Jeffries closed out an impressive preseason with another solid game against the Nets. NBAE/Getty Images

But that doesn’t mean the Knicks’ starting point guard can’t light up the scoreboard when he has to. Duhon proved that in Wednesday’s preseason finale, scoring a team-high 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field in a 94-92 win over the New Jersey Nets at the Prudential Center in Newark.      

“It was just one of those days when the shots were falling,” said Duhon, who entered the night shooting just 26.5 percent through six preseason games. “This was our last dress rehearsal so I just wanted to come out and shoot with confidence. All the shots that I’ve been shooting have been right there, but I just made the adjustments tonight.”   

Duhon found the bucket in a number of ways, including from beyond the arc, where he went 3 of 4. In the second quarter alone, he knocked down three treys and scored 15 points to help the Knicks bring an 18-point lead into halftime. His shooting was contagious as the Knicks won for the fifth time in seven preseason games.   

Wilson Chandler, who started alongside Duhon in the backcourt, scored 11 on 4-for-5 shooting, including 2-for-2 from long range while Jared Jeffries, who had a standout preseason, continued to shoot the rock with confidence, nailing a big three-pointer in the third quarter. Rookie Toney Douglas, who took over the point guard duties in the fourth quarter, had 13 on 6-for-9 shooting, including a 3-pointer on his only attempt.   

“It’s all about tempo,” Duhon said. “I think we’re starting to understand what type of tempo we need to have for us to be successful.”   

The Knicks, who missed their first five 3-point attempts, drained all six of their threes in the second quarter as they outscored the Nets by 18 in the period. They missed only four times on 18 attempts in the second period.   

“You could see the confidence and you could see them really coming together as unit,” head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “There was a lot of good stuff in the first half.”   

It wasn’t until late the third quarter when the Nets rallied back, but by that point Duhon and the starters were already making their way off the court for the remainder of the contest. The Knicks’ bench, led by Douglas, closed out the preseason by holding off a Nets push that lasted until the closing seconds.   

Rookies Marcus Landry and Chris Hunter, who are fighting for the final spot on the team, looked solid in the fourth quarter. Landry scored one point and grabbed four rebounds, while Hunter poured in four.   

The Knicks currently have 16 players on their roster, including the retired Cuttino Mobley, which means at least one player will have to be released before Monday’s deadline to reach the league maximum of 15.   

“We’ve had them for a month and a half now, so we’ll just have to sit down and figure out what the team needs,” D’Antoni said. “They’re all really good guys. The worst part of coaching is you have to make a decision”   

The Knicks will have a week off before opening the regular season next Wednesday in Miami.