The Knicks had no problems on Monday night against the Toronto Raptors as their offense had one of their best shooting displays of the season, winning 139-125.
Here are the takeaways…
-What ended as a blowout didn’t start out that way as the first quarter was a back-and-forth affair filled with nine lead changes and eight ties that ended with the Knicks up by just two points.
–Karl-Anthony Towns was involved early with 10 points in the opening quarter, getting to the rim and being aggressive against the small Toronto lineup rather than pulling up from beyond the arc which he’s done so often and well this season. With no Raptors starter above 6-foot-7, Towns dominated around the rim and on the glass, finishing with 31 points (11-for-15 from the field), 10 rebounds, seven assists and one steal in an all-around complete game. He also went 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
–Cameron Payne had himself a great night offensively as well off the bench. On the floor to spell Jalen Brunson some minutes, the point guard added a burst of energy, especially in the second quarter, and was a legit scoring option with Brunson off the court. Payne got hot from three-point range and was even able to score around the basket, too. In just eight minutes, Payne scored 14 points in the first half and finished with a season-high 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting (4-for-7 from deep). He came into the game averaging 7.5 points.
-The second quarter is where New York really took off, going on a 15-2 run that saw its lead grow to 11 points. The Knicks outworked and outhustled the Raptors at every turn, grabbing offensive rebounds and securing loose balls that led to scoring opportunities which they did not miss. In a short amount of time, New York saw its lead climb as high as 20 points in the first half.
-Surprisingly, with how well the Knicks played offensively, Brunson was not much of a factor. He missed his first six shots as well as his first three free-throw attempts and didn’t score his first point until 1:40 left in the half. However, the point guard helped his team in other ways and dished out five assists with a steal before halftime where New York had a 70-52 lead, showing how dangerous its offense can truly be even with its top scorer having an off night.
–OG Anunoby, the former Raptor, tormented his old team and made his first 11 shots of the game. He put concerns over his recent shooting struggles to bed by going 13-for-15 from the floor and found his stroke from behind the arc (4-for-6). He was also involved in other aspects of the game, finishing with seven rebounds and four assists to go along with his 31 points.
-For Toronto, former Knick RJ Barrett had a nice game in his return to MSG. The 24-year-old finished with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists. Scottie Barnes also played well and added 24 points with eight assists.
-Despite a fourth-quarter surge by the Raptors with the game well out of reach that made the score look slightly closer, head coach Tom Thibodeau was able to deploy his entire bench for the final minute and change and rest his starters. That meant Tyler Kolek, Jacob Toppin and Landry Shamet seeing action, with Shamet scoring two points in his Knicks debut.
-New York has won four in a row and five of its past six as the team begins to find the right recipe for success.
Game MVP: OG Anunoby
We’ll give Anunoby the honors here for his efficiency on the floor as well as his shooting from the perimeter and because he did it against his former team.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day with tip-off scheduled for noon at MSG.
