The Knicks pulled out a 113-108 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
– RJ Barrett was part of the package shipped off to Toronto in the OG Anunoby deal last season, and the two were guarding each other in the contest. 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 first-quarter points.
– Toronto led by as much as six two different times, but the Knicks used a 15-4 run to help them jump in front. The duo of Precious Achiuwa and Miles McBride provided a nice spark off the bench with a combined eight points, four rebounds, and three assists in the closing minutes of the first.
– New York carried that momentum into the opening minutes of the season, as they pushed the lead up to 11, but the offense went ice cold, and the Raptors responded with a big run of their own. As a result, Toronto carried a slim one-point advantage into the locker room backed by Barrett’s game-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
– The teams traded baskets for most of the third, but the Knicks’ defensive struggles continued, as Scottie Barnes was left wide-open to extend the lead with back-to-back threes. Barnes left the game after rolling his ankle coming down on a block attempt midway through the quarter.
– New York did have two injury scares during the third quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns came up hobbling after stepping on Jonathan Mogbo‘s foot on a drive to the basket, but the big man was able to return with no issue. A few minutes later, Jalen Brunson was forced to the locker room after tripping over a fan while running up the court. He sat out eight minutes but returned midway through the fourth.
– With their two starts hobbled, Mikal Bridges (team-high 23 points) and Josh Hart (10 points) drilled some big shots down the stretch for New York. But when things mattered the most, the dynamic duo shined as Brunson converted a four-point play and Towns scored five points in the game’s closing minute to help close out the win.
Anunoby also came up with a huge block on Barrett with under 30 seconds remaining 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 back in Toronto.
The Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks at MSG on Wednesday for their NBA Cup Quarterfinals matchup.
