How It Happened: The Knicks opened preseason action with a solid 33-point first quarter and a three-point advantage heading into the second frame. In the third period, Brooklyn outscored the home team 34-21 as it built an 18-point lead. The young New York squad showed some resiliency by bouncing back in the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run while cutting the deficit to just four points. However, the Nets pulled away late in the final stanza and captured the 115-107 victory.
Knick of the Night: Tim Hardaway Jr. returned to the Garden in grand style with a 17-point performance. In just 25 minutes, THJ hit 5-of-11 shots from deep range to go along with seven rebounds.
Notables: Enes Kanter dropped 17 points in his Knicks debut. Frank Ntilikina showed some exciting flashes in his first NBA contest. The rookie jumped in passing lanes to disrupt the Nets offense or create a steal. On the offensive side, Ntilikina was effective on pick-and-rolls with pockets passes and setting up his teammates. Kristaps Porzingis started at the power forward spot next to Kyle O’Quinn and finished with 15 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the floor in 22 minutes. Doug McDermott posted nine points along with a highlight-reel jam in the second quarter.
News and Notes:Ron Baker, Luke Kornet, and Mindaugas Kuzminskas did not dress for Tuesday night’s game. Joakim Noah was held out for precautionary reasons.
Statistically Speaking: New York racked up 44 points in the paint and the team shot 40 percent behind the arc.
Next Up: The Knicks will return to the practice floor on Thursday morning and then head to Washington D.C. for the second preseason contest of the year. Watch Friday’s contest against the Wizards on MSG Network at 7:30 PM.