The New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors 126-100. New York welcomed RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley but sent them home with a loss.
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The New York Knicks took down the Toronto Raptors 126 to 100 as the Garden bid farewell to RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The night started with emotions as the former Knicks received standing ovations during line-up announcements and as a tribute video played.
The emotional night may have led to sloppy play, with New York turning the ball over frequently with lousy transition defense to boot. The Raptors stuck around throughout the first half despite Jalen Brunson’s hot hand and Julius Randle compiling boards and assists rapidly.
New York’s decision-making and defense tightened in the second half. The starters looked dominant as they built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, then quelled a comeback run from the Raptors in the fourth. By the five-minute mark in the final stanza, the Knicks had an insurmountable lead and began to send in the bench.
The Garden said goodbye to its boys in style. But the Knicks didn’t show mercy in continuing their winning ways. Let’s take a look at each performance.
New York’s starters dominate another game
Jalen Brunson: 38 PTS (13/23 FG, 5/11 3PT, 7/7 FT), 9 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 35 mins
Jalen Brunson continued to build his case as one of the best scorers in the league. He hit a pull-up jumper on the game’s first possession and proceeded with drives to the basket and three-pointers for the rest of the night. Toronto deployed bigger defenders on Brunson, but he picked on those defenders throughout the action.
Brunson’s ridiculous scoring rendered his passing game an afterthought, but the dimes were impressive. Brunson consistently beat his bigger, slower defenders off the dribble, which forced Toronto into rotations. He whipped the ball to open teammates in that chaos.
Brunson locked in from the first quarter and put the nail in the coffin with a scoring burst to start the fourth. Toronto didn’t stand a chance while he was on the floor. Brunson gets a 5 out of 5 for his dominant scoring.
Donte DiVincenzo: 17 PTS (7/12 FG, 2/7 3PT, 1/3 FT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL in 20 mins
Donte DiVincenzo may have had his best night driving to the basket. His touch around the basket is typically inconsistent, but he finished everything at the rim against Toronto. His flashiest field goal came on a well-timed putback.
DiVo’s defense never leaped off the screen, but I’ve seen IQ make plenty of defenders look bad. The Big Ragu frequently found himself guarding IQ and chasing the shifty scorer through screens. When Donte wasn’t defending on the ball, you could catch him sneaking into passing lanes to take options away from the ball-handler.
This is another quality game for Donte. He didn’t shoot as well as we’re used to from deep, so I wouldn’t call it a quintessential performance, but he made up for that with some of his best slashing of the season. DiVincenzo gets a 3 out of 5 for his fearless finishing.
OG Anunoby: 14 PTS (5/11 FG, 0/3 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 1 TO in 37 mins
You don’t need to look at OG Anunoby’s stats to feel his impact. Take a look at Scottie Barnes’ numbers instead. Anunoby shut down Toronto’s franchise player, holding him to 9 points on 14 attempts with fewer rebounds than his season average. Anunoby’s on his 11th game as a Knick, and I still marvel at his defense.
OG’s offense came almost exclusively on straight-line drives. He didn’t bother going into his bag, choosing to run through players rather than try anything that might require wiggle. Anunoby looked overpowering rather than elusive.
As much as I’d love to see more offensive versatility from Anunoby, his scoring is never the most crucial part of the package. OG’s defense has pushed the Knicks to another level, and he showed it again by shutting down Barnes. Anunoby gets a 4 out of 5 for putting Scottie Barnes in jail.
Julius Randle: 18 PTS (7/13 FG, 3/7 3PT, 1/2 FT), 10 AST, 16 REB, 7 TO in 32 mins
It was hugs before the action, but Julius Randle relished his chance to play against former teammates. Randle showed up with extra energy, feasting on rebounds early. He scored whenever he received the ball with space to attack, though Toronto crowded him often.
The Raptors brought double-teams and extra pressure to Randle. That worked to force him into 7 turnovers, but it also brought out the best of the big man’s passing. The All-NBA big held onto the ball longer than usual, but I’d chalk that up to patience. He frequently allowed plays to unfold, waiting until a cutter shook loose en route to the basket. Those slow-developing plays led to my favorite dimes of the night.
I don’t recall ever handing out two perfect scores in one game. Randle gave me plenty of reasons to change that in this game. But his 7 turnovers gave Toronto momentum in transition, which brings him just short of perfection. Randle gets a 4.5 out of 5 for his impressive triple-double.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 1 PTS (0/1 FG, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB in 23 mins
My only concern about the game is that Isaiah Hartenstein had to leave early. The Knicks report ankle soreness as the culprit. I didn’t see any sprains while he played, though the fast pace of this action might have hidden some bumps and bruises.
Hartenstein wasn’t well-suited for the constant transitions in the first half. He still grabbed some boards but wasn’t as involved as we’re used to. I don’t know how long he was laboring on a shaky ankle, but I’m giving him a pass from the impact score for this one.
The Knicks’ second unit gets a big night from Precious
Miles McBride: 3 PTS (1/4 FG, 1/3 3PT), 1 AST, 2 TO in 13 mins
Miles McBride couldn’t get going for the Knicks. I’ll applaud him for some fantastic off-ball movement that brought him into position to receive open looks throughout his minutes. But McBride only knocked down his best look of the night, missing when the closeouts came anywhere near him.
McBride’s night ended unceremoniously. He tried to force a pass into traffic, which was picked off for a Raptors fast break. Then he dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds on the next play, an unforced error. Shortly after that, Tom Thibodeau sent McBride to the bench.
All I’m asking is for five more minutes from McBride. I like that he tried to create and showed work off the ball. But he has to be better. Deuce gets a 1 out of 5 for bad mistakes in limited minutes.
Quentin Grimes: 4 PTS (2/8 FG, 0/4 3PT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 20 mins
Quentin Grimes couldn’t buy a jumper. He pressed on a pair of his three-point attempts, taking shots despite nearby defenders. But he usually has a knack for hitting those shots despite the closeouts. His jumper just seemed off in this game.
On the bright side, Grimes was forced to drive to make up for missed shots. He attacked the lanes with great pace and reckless abandon. He finished a tough layup through contact and later got a dunk in transition. I like to see him using his quick first step and getting more going in the paint.
It’s not enough for Grimes to go 2 for 8 from the field. But I wouldn’t bury his prospects yet. He’s starting to attack off the dribble more frequently, and while the results have been mixed, it adds a new element to his attack. Grimes gets a 1.5 out of 5 on the night, but I’m optimistic again.
Josh Hart: 10 PTS (3/5 FG, 2/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 9 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 26 mins
Josh Hart knocked down his three-pointers. That typically signals a good night for the wing, who reliably grabs boards and pushes the pace. He’s bound to end with positive results in any game he adds jumpers to his nightly production.
My only complaint is that there’s not much to talk about. Hart did a little bit of everything, acting as a complement to his teammates in every way. Hart was good, flirting with a double-double again. He gets a 3 out of 5 for a solid all-around performance.
Precious Achiuwa: 18 PTS (9/10 FG), 11 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 25 mins
After all the pageantry, the revenge game turned out to be Precious Achiuwa’s. Precious had his best game as a Knick, frequently grabbing offensive boards for putbacks. He also controlled the glass for defensive rebounds, making a double-double feel inevitable.
That’s not to call Achiuwa’s performance perfect. He began the night by fumbling some passes in a display that recalled Nerlens Noel. He picked up turnovers off shaky screens, leading to offensive fouls. But it was nice to see his upside, as his mobility helped him beat opposing bigs to good positions around the rim.
Precious gets a 3.5 out of 5 for stepping up when the team needed him.
Tom Thibodeau is running out of big men
Tom Thibodeau did an excellent job getting his starters more rest than in recent games. He pulled the second unit early in the second half again, but this time, it helped secure a big lead with plenty of garbage time to rest.
My main concern is that Isaiah Hartenstein was left injured. Tom Thibodeau hadn’t shown trust in Precious Achiuwa to play extended minutes until tonight. He’s banished Jericho Sims to the Fournier realm since an ankle injury of his own. Now Thibodeau will have to make Achiuwa and Sims work for 48 minutes unless Leon Rose makes a move soon.
Closing Thoughts
It’s always nice to see deserving players receive appreciation. As much as the Anunoby trade has uplifted New York, the fans didn’t turn their back on former players. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley got the ovations they deserved for giving us years of hard work and success.
For years, we asked for a team with homegrown talent to cheer for. It was like a consolation for spending so many years chasing win-now improvements that flopped. I suspect that’s why the initial reaction to the trade was adverse for some fans. That sort of move burned us in the past, and we finally had our own guys who we watched grow into quality contributors.
But winning has changed the timeline. RJ and IQ have years to push toward new peaks. Meanwhile, the Knicks chase immediate contention. So, this was the “goodbye” game, a bittersweet look at the recent past and present. Considering how much longer RJ and IQ have in this league, maybe it was an “I’ll see you later” game.
The Nets are next, though New York will thankfully get two days of rest before that match-up. The Knicks played four games in quick succession last week, and they’ve got some lumps to ice. But Brooklyn is another winnable game to keep the momentum going. Let’s see if the Knicks can keep the streak building and meet back here to discuss. See you next time, Knicks fam!
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