Knicks snap three-game losing streak with 14-point win over the Raptors
Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the lineup and scored 27 points to lead the Knicks to a 112-98 win over the Raptors Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and upped the team’s record to 25-13.
During the losing streak, the Knicks had trouble finishing games, getting beat in the second half. Against the Raptors, the Knicks extended a four-point halftime lead to a 10-point advantage after three quarters. And there was no let up in the final period, as the Knicks went on a 15-0 run to extend to a 25-point lead with just under four minutes remaining.
The Knicks showed great hustle throughout the game. They pulled down 15 offensive rebounds, had nine steals and four blocks.
Towns finished with a double-double with the 27 points and 13 rebounds. OG Anunoby matched Towns with 27 points and knocked down 4-6 from behind the arc. Josh Hart was three assists shy of a triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.
It was a relatively quiet scoring night for Jalen Brunson, who still put up a Hart-like nigh with 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists. The only down part of the night was Mikal Bridges’ shooting from deep, as he hit just 2-11 from three.
Landry Shamet came off the bench and led all Knicks reserves with 21 minutes and eight points. He hit 4-8 and was active defensively, being the quality player the Knicks envisioned.
The win tonight gave Tom Thibodeau his 200th victory as Knicks’ head coach, which places him fifth all-time among the club’s coaches.
The Knicks get a shot at redemption as they host the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday night. The Thunder beat the Knicks last week, which snapped their nine-game winning streak.