THE Knicks earned a 113-108 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
Here are some points to remember…
– RJ Barrett was part of the package shipped to Toronto in the OG Anunoby agreement last season, and the two kept each other’s guard during the competition. Both got off to a strong start, with Anunoby scoring New York’s first five points of the game and Barrett leading the way with eight points in the first quarter.
– Toronto led by as many as six twice, but the Knicks used a 15-4 run to help them take the lead. The duo of Precious Achiuwa And Miles McBride provided a nice spark coming off the bench with a combined total of eight points, four rebounds and three assists in the final minutes of the first.
– New York carried that momentum into the opening minutes of the season, pushing the lead to 11, but the offense went ice cold and the Raptors responded with a series of their own. As a result, Toronto had a slim one-point advantage going into the locker room, buoyed by Barrett’s game-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
– The teams traded baskets for most of the third period, but the Knicks’ defensive struggles continued. Scottie Barnes was left wide open to extend the lead with three straight points. Barnes left the game after rolling his ankle during a block attempt midway through the quarter.
– New York had two injuries during the third quarter. Cities of Karl-Anthony came limping after stepping on it Jonathan Mogbofoot en route to the basket, but the big man was able to return without problem. A few minutes later, Jalen Brunson was forced to go to the locker room after tripping over a fan while running on the field. He was out for eight minutes but returned midway through the fourth.
– With their two departures hampered, Mikal Bridges (a team-high 23 points) and Josh Hart (10 points) made some big shots down the stretch for New York. But when things mattered most, the dynamic duo shined when Brunson converted a four-point play and Towns scored five points in the final minute of the game to help close out the victory.
Game MVP: OG Anunoby
Anunoby also made a huge block on Barrett with less than 30 seconds left in a one-possession game. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks in his first game in Toronto.
Highlights
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The Knicks welcome the Atlanta Hawks to MSG on Wednesday for their NBA Cup quarterfinal game.
