If Keith Van Horn feels any pain today from his strained left groin – and chances are he will – the Knicks will shut him down for the rest of the preseason.

“If it’s still bothering him he should shut down and heal. I don’t see where he should practice [today],” coach Don Chaney said, noting it was crucial Van Horn and Allan Houston get a chance to play together in preseason. “Those two guys are still trying to learn each other. It could be devastating, to a degree.”