The New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 120-103 on Saturday, their ninth straight win, thanks to 31 points and 10 rebounds from Julius Randle and 25 points and 12 rebounds from RJ Barrett.
In this game, Derrick Rose led the Knicks in scoring with 19 points. The Knicks are on their longest winning streak since winning the Atlantic Division late in the 2012-13 season.
“We’re peaking, but there’s still a lot more we can do,” Randle said. For a full 48 minutes, “I feel like we could be a lot better defensively,” he said.
11 Games Left
Despite only having 11 games left, the Knicks have climbed up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference and improved to 21-10 at Madison Square Garden, where an announced attendance of 1,981 spectators sounded louder than typical for the end of the basketball season.
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Barrett remarked, “Since the fans came back, it’s been wonderful winning here.” As a team, we’re working harder than ever because we want to make them proud.
Fourth Quarter
Randle, who had a 40-point performance against Atlanta on Wednesday, tallied another 20 points by halftime on Saturday against New Orleans. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks broke open a tense game while Barrett sat on the bench, and he was able to make the crucial shots to defeat his hometown team.
Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks coach, called that the best element of his squad. When it comes to power, “Julius is our engine, but we have many more who are willing to step up.”
It was a season-high fifth straight win for the Toronto Raptors, led by Fred VanVleet and O.G. Anunoby, who each scored 27 points. The team started the day tied for 11th place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Washington’s resurgence.
First Three Quarters
During the first three quarters, neither team led by more than nine points, but the Knicks roared back in the fourth quarter to take a commanding lead.
In the 14-3 run, Obi Toppin sank two 3-pointers to make it 102-86 with 9:13 remaining.
As a result, the Raptors fell short of a season series victory, something they hadn’t done since 2010-11.
Field Goal Percentage
The Knicks concluded the game with a field goal percentage of 56.6%, a 3-point percentage of 51.6%, and a foul percentage of 83.3%.
“It was strange. To his players, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said, “We really executed things very well,” before adding, “and then it didn’t work out. “It seems to me that, once again, they made them, and we didn’t.”
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Ending Explaination
Reggie Bullock’s third straight 3-pointer gave the Knicks a 55-46 advantage with 61 percent shooting in the first half. At the break, they had a 64-59 lead.
Raptors Pascal Siakam scored 26 points, but Kyle Lowry was just 1 for 10 from 3-point range, missing all eight of his attempts.
