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AJ Dybantsa made his preseason debut with the Washington Wizards on Thursday, helping his new team secure a 111-109 road win over the defending champions New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Wizards opened their preseason campaign with a victory, while the Knicks fell to 0-2. Washington built a late fourth-quarter cushion before holding off a New York rally in the closing minutes.
Dybantsa, who started alongside Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, Deandre Ayton and Trae Young, finished with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes. He shot 5-of-11 from the field and recorded four steals, making an impact on both ends of the floor.
The young forward scored his first points from the free-throw line before adding a driving layup in the opening quarter. He continued to find opportunities in the second and third periods, scoring on another driving layup and an 18-foot turnaround jumper. Dybantsa also assisted baskets by Bilal Coulibaly and George during the first half.
Davis led Washington with 16 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes, shooting 6-of-11 from the field and making two three-pointers. Young added 15 points and four assists, while George contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Ayton recorded four points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes.
Justin Champagnie supplied 12 points off the bench, while Bub Carrington and Tre Mann scored 11 and six points, respectively. Washington shot 47% from the field and 39% from three-point range, but committed 22 turnovers.
For New York, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart each scored 13 points. Brunson shot 6-of-12 from the field, while Hart added six rebounds and three assists. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with eight points and seven rebounds, and OG Anunoby had 10 points.
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Landry Shamet also scored 13 points off the bench, making three of his four attempts from beyond the arc. Andre Drummond recorded eight points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Pacome Dadiet added five points.
The teams were tied 29-29 after the first quarter, and New York took a 63-57 lead into halftime after outscoring Washington 34-27 in the second period. The Wizards responded after the break, winning the third quarter 24-21 before taking control late in the fourth.
Washington moved ahead 108-99 after Champagnie connected from long range with 2:47 remaining. Mann then hit a three-pointer with 1:23 left to make it 111-102, giving the visitors a nine-point advantage.
New York responded with a late surge, including a three-pointer by Tyler Nickel with 27.9 seconds remaining that cut the deficit to 111-109. The Knicks could not complete the comeback, allowing Washington to escape with the two-point victory.
