Knicks coach Mike Brown would prefer to use the preseason finale Friday night as a dress rehearsal for next week's regular-season opener.

But four of the Knicks' top six rotation players did not practice Thursday, with Karl-Anthony Towns (quad) and OG Anunoby (ankle) joining injured Josh Hart (back) and Mitchell Robinson (load management) on the sidelines.

That makes their availability uncertain at best for Friday's preseason home game against the Hornets.

"We'd like to play our guys as close to normal rotation [and minutes] as possible. ... But I'm not sure who's gonna play [Friday]," Brown said at the team's Tarrytown practice facility.

The Knicks said Anunoby, who tweaked his left ankle on Wednesday, is day to day, while Towns worked out individually on the side during Thursday's session.

The Knicks are taking a cautious approach with the oft-injured Robinson, who made 35 combined appearances late last season and in the playoffs.

Hart has been dealing with lower back spasms since taking a fall in an exhibition game earlier this month in Abu Dhabi.

"It does impact us, because Josh is an extremely important piece of what trying to accomplish here," Brown said. "And missing time, it's not easy or simple, however you want to call it, to just pick up and go. Great part about it, Josh is a very intelligent human being. He's got a great feel for the game.

"So that's going to help out a lot, but it's just gonna take a little longer than what you had hoped."

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has been among the biggest national media supporters of Jalen Brunson and the Knicks in recent years, but he doesn't expect them to end their NBA championship drought this season.

"I don't, and you know I'm a 'Big Body' Brunson fan, but I think that the championship is going to stay in the Western Conference," Perkins told reporters on a conference call. "I think all the [West] teams are just better, regardless of who makes it -- whether it's Denver, OKC, Dallas, Houston.

"But I do think the Knicks should be the favorite to make it to the NBA Finals [out of the] Eastern Conference. I know a lot of people picked the Cavs. I'm not a fan or a believer of the Cavs. I'm to the point now where they have to show me, especially with a Donovan Mitchell-led team.

"So I'm banking on the Knicks making it to the NBA Finals, but as far as them winning it all, I can't say that. The NBA champion is going to be a team out of West."

The Knicks signed former Thunder and Spurs forward Isaiah Roby to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Key Knicks banged up heading into preseason finale