Washington Wizards Open Preseason with Road Win vs New York Knicks

The Washington Wizards opened the preseason in the win column after downing the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, 111-109, on Thursday night.

Six different Wizards finished in double figures scoring, including Anthony Davis adding 16 points and seven rebounds by halftime. Trae Young added 15 points and four assists, while Bub Carrington joined Justin Champagnie as the two bench pieces to eclipse ten points each.

Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Landry Shamet all tied to lead the Knicks with 13 points each in the preseason matchup.

With Alex Sarr and Khris Middleton sidelined for the preseason opener as it appeared through the week, head coach Brian Keefe turned to Kyshawn George as the fifth starter while Deandre Ayton served as Sarr's replacement in the starting lineup, but the opening half was all about the new pieces.

AJ Dybantsa tallied four steals by halftime, while Anthony Davis and Trae Young combined for 31 of Washington's 57 points at the break. Davis' first bucket in a Wizards uniform came courtesy of a three, which Trae Young one-upped after draining a running, one-legged three point attempt as the Wizards shot nearly 50% from three and exactly 50% from the floor.

Deandre Ayton proved his value in the frontcourt after he registered ten rebounds -- by halftime -- while he, Davis and Young appeared in street clothes on the bench for the second half. But that marked the start of Dybantsa teaming up with the young foundation with Felix Okpara rounding out a starting lineup alongside Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Dybantsa and Bilal Coulibaly. Yet Bub Carrington also stepped up with 11 points through the second half thanks , in addition to Justin Champagnie adding his own ten while tying Tre Mann for a team-best plus-19 over the final 24 minutes.

Yet what was clear was Washington's impact of the added size along the roster, ultimately outrebounding the Knicks by seven to add credence to the offseason talk about the roster improvements. Washington also held New York to just 42.1% shooting from the field and 28.9% from three. For a team that has prioritized improving defensively, Thursday marked a start for exactly that with Dybantsa's unofficial debut a chance to showcase his two-way impact as a rookie. Whether Washington can translate that through preseason into opening night against the Bucks is the question moving forward.

The Wizards will return to action on Saturday night when they take on the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is set for 7 PM ET.