How It Happened:Despite the defeat, the Knicks turned in their best performance of the preseason. Doug McDermott returned to the lineup and provided an instant jolt to New York’s offense. The newly acquired forward jumped off the pine to score 15 of his 21 points in the first half while the Knicks and Wizards were locked at 56-56 through two quarters of action. Washington won the third and fourth periods to secure the 110-103 road victory. Bradley Beal led the way for the Wizards with 24 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21, and Jason Smith posted 17. Both teams completed their preseason slate of games.
Knick of the Night:Tim Hardaway Jr. was red-hot from the perimeter by connecting on 9-of-15 shots and 4-of-8 behind the arc. The shooting guard scored a team-high 23 points in 29 minutes of action.
Notables:Enes Kanter finished with 15 points and seven boards, Michael Beasley registered 10 points, and Kyle O’Quinn snagged seven rebounds.
News and Notes:Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina did not play in Friday night’s game.
Statistically Speaking:New York buried 42.3% (11-of-26) of its shots from the 3-point line on Friday evening.
Next Up:The Knicks will have the next six days to prepare for the season opener scheduled for Thursday night in Oklahoma City against the Thunder.