The New York Knicks keep on winning, holding off a late rally to defeat the Toronto Raptors on the second end of a back-to-back to win 121-115. New York improves to 34-17 on the season while Toronto falls to 16-34.
The Knicks dominated the second-chance points
The big catalyst for the Knicks in this one was the offensive rebounding prowess which led to plenty of second-chance opportunities. New York won the overall rebound battle 43-34 and secured 17 offensive rebounds.
The main difference was the second-chance scoring, as the Knicks scored an astounding 24 second-chance points compared to just five from the Raptors. The effort on the glass was huge for the Knicks as it was another poor shooting night for them (8-for-25 3PT).
The exceptional interior presence ultimately made the difference between winning and losing for the Knicks. With Mitchell Robinson still out with an injury, they have tried to replace his presence each game, and they replicated the type of production he provides against Toronto.
Karl-Anthony Towns bounced back with best performance since injury
Karl-Anthony Towns had been struggling since suffering a thumb sprain a couple of weeks ago, but he bounced back with a very strong performance against the Raptors.
Towns recorded 27 points and 20 rebounds while shooting 10-for-19 from the floor and 2-for-3 from three. He was a +13 on the night, which was the second-highest only to Mikal Bridges (+14).
Towns needed a performance like this one, as he was clearly bothered by the thumb injury which was affecting his shot quality. In this game, however, he didn’t appear to be phased at all, and he played like the All-Star starter that he is.
The Knicks nearly let this game slip away
The Knicks appeared to be well on their way to another blowout, but the Raptors hung around and nearly pulled off a ferocious comeback despite missing RJ Barrett. The Knicks once led by as much as 23 in the third quarter, and they were dominating on both ends of the floor.
However, the Raptors went on a run to close the third quarter to cut the lead down to 12, and they continued their barrage into the fourth quarter and cut the lead to just one. Luckily for the Knicks, they were able to hold off their comeback effort thanks to a few stops and a couple of clutch buckets from Jalen Brunson (28 points).
The Knicks have struggled with closing games this season, but in their past two games, they have shown resilience and a togetherness that helps them stick together and find a way to win important games.
Overview
The Knicks narrowly avoided disaster by hanging on despite the Raptors’ comeback effort. New York will now get three days off before they go back to Madison Square Garden for a Saturday night prime-time matchup with the Boston Celtics.