7:00 PM EST | Capitol One Arena TV: MSG Network
1. The Knicks hit the road for the second contest of the preseason in Washington D.C. tonight. Frank Ntilikina (contused right knee), Ron Baker (sprained left ankle), Mindaugas Kuzminskas (sore left calf), and Luke Kornet (sore left hamstring) are all listed as doubtful for the matchup against the Wizards. At the morning shootaround, head coach Jeff Hornacek said Joakim Noah will play after missing the preseason opener on Tuesday night.
2. Ntilikina is hopeful he’ll return to action in the Knicks next preseason game on Sunday against the Nets. The rookie point guard bumped into teammate Enes Kanter early in Tuesday’s game and his knee was sore at Thursday’s practice session at MSG Training Center.
3. Hornacek started Ramon Sessions, Tim Hardaway Jr., Doug McDermott, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle O’Quinn on Tuesday night. The head man did not reveal his starting group for the contest against the Wizards but he has expressed interest in adjusting lineups to determine his rotation for the opening night game on October 19.
4. On Wednesday night, the team waived Jamel Artis and the roster now stands at 19 players with 12 days until the opening game in Oklahoma City. Teams can carry a roster of 17 with 2 two-way players under contract (Kornet signed to a two-way deal).
5. The Wizards enter the 2017-18 season with high expectations. Last year, Washington nearly reached the Conference Finals, just falling short in a seven-game battle against the Celtics in the semifinal round. The core group is back for the Wizards, specifically the stellar backcourt tandem of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Washington added Tim Frazier, Jodie Meeks, Devin Robinson, Mike Scott, and Michael Young to the mix. Bogan Bogdanovic, Trey Burke, and Brandon Jennings have departed from the Wizards.