The New York Knicks’ eight-game winning streak is over as they fall to the Toronto Raptors 113-106. This game came down to the wire.
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The New York Knicks lost a hard-fought battle with the Toronto Raptors 113 to 106. They failed to contain Pascal Siakim and Fred Van Fleet, who looked unstoppable, scoring 52 and 28 points, respectively. New York’s offense was rolling, but their defense and bench play both took steps back in the absence of Quentin Grimes.
But the game was a battle from start to finish. The Knicks always found a run to keep things close, even while Siakim scored relentlessly. New York even took a 1-point lead with 3 minutes left in the match but ran out of steam on this second night of a back-to-back.
All good things must end, but the Knicks showed grit and heart in defeat. There’s plenty to talk about for each performance, so let’s get right into it.
A new Knicks’ starting five produces plenty of scoring but too many turnovers
Jalen Brunson: 7 PTS (3/14 FG, 0/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 12 AST, 3 REB, 5 TO in 39 mins
Jalen Brunson faced instant traps and double-teams as soon as he crossed the three-point arc. The Raptors were determined to make someone else beat them. That left Brunson floundering from the field but picking up a huge assist tally. But Brunson moved the ball exceptionally well after the half, finding shooters and cutters alike.
But the Raptors’ approach left New York unable to rely on their leader in crunch time. While Brunson’s teammates stepped up for most of the night, they floundered in the final possessions of the action. That sets a scary blueprint for how teams might address New York in close games going forward.
Brunson found himself trapped in a nightmare game. He couldn’t get shots off or attack the paint without being surrounded. His passing kept his head over water, but the depleted Knicks needed more. The starting point guard picks up a 2 out of 5 for his tough but failing battle.
Immanuel Quickley: 20 PTS (7/10 FG, 6/9 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 34 mins
Immanuel Quickley vanished for chunks of the early action. IQ’s teammates didn’t utilize him as the second unit has. But whenever he received the ball in space, Quickley fired away. The rest of the starters realized they had a hot hand to feed by the second half. IQ knocked down three consecutive three-pointers to nearly erase a 10-point margin, and his hot shooting never stopped.
Quickley also played commendable defense. IQ frequently challenged shooters, though the shots still went in occasionally. His only glaring mistake was a missed box out on Hernangomez in the first half. Quickley couldn’t match Grimes’ point-of-attack pressure, but IQ wasn’t the problem for the defense.
The sophomore flashed his potential as an off-ball scorer in a deeper line-up. He barely saw chances to play make, which allowed him to shoot without conscience. Quick was a crucial scorer, erasing deficits by making big shots. He gets a 3.5 out of 5 for his 2 points per shot attempt.
RJ Barrett: 30 PTS (11/19 FG, 4/6 3PT, 4/6 FT), 5 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 4 TO in 45 mins
RJ Barrett kept New York alive in the first half. He knocked down momentum-changing threes and drove into the teeth of Toronto’s defense. Those drives in traffic led to a few ugly turnovers but also produced most of Barrett’s baskets. RJ’s night was exemplified by an emphatic dunk to take the lead with about 3 minutes left in the game.
Barrett also helped the team with 5 assists and 5 rebounds. He hit his patented lob to Mitch and also picked up a few dimes to shooters. I keep raising the kick outs in these recaps because they weren’t a feature of his early play. Spotting shooters is crucial against zone defenses.
Barrett stepped up while Toronto focused on Brunson and Randle. RJ commanded more attention by the second half and found teammates instead of forcing the issue. He looks more and more comfortable in the third-option role. Barrett picks up 4 out of 5 for creating a pick-your-poison dynamic in New York’s offense.
Julius Randle: 30 PTS (13/17 FG, 0/3 3PT, 4/9 FT), 4 AST, 13 REB, 2 TO in 40 mins
Julius Randle played a brilliant game of basketball. His perimeter jumper was a complete dud, but everything else worked. Randle got in the lane and scored over or through double-teams. Toronto never found an answer for the big man because they’re devoid of a rim protector. Unfortunately, Randle’s sole miss from inside the arc came on an open layup that would have forced a 1-point game with about a minute left in the fourth.
But the miss isn’t enough to be sour over. Randle was crucial on the boards, scoring, and as a playmaker. In addition, he adjusted to fast double-teams in the second half by passing more quickly. The only downside to his game was that the big man struggled to keep up with Pascal Siakim when Mitchell Robinson left the floor. But that was a team-wide issue.
Randle is playing great basketball. He and Barrett gave life to the Knicks’ offense while their lead ball-handler faced adversity. But unlike prior years, Randle also appears focused on the other areas of his game. That means he can impact the game as a passer, a rebounder, and occasionally a defender. Randle gets a 4 out of 5 for stepping up as a leader.
Mitchell Robinson: 10 PTS (4/4 FG, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 3 BLK in 25 mins
Mitchell Robinson accepted the challenge of guarding Pascal Siakim first. The assignment pulled Mitch far away from the basket, which kept him off the boards and unable to protect the rim. Then, when Robinson cheated off his man to help others, Siakim received the ball with space to drive and hit his euro step. So the match-up muted the best features of New York’s shot-blocker.
Mitch still flashed his dominant presence. Late in the first half, he bodied Scott Barnes to dunk the ball, then flew downcourt to block Barnes. Robinson also dunked the ball through traffic and contact when he got touches in the paint.
Robinson’s night was cut short after he took a hit to the groin in the fourth. The timing was unfortunate because Mitch gave Pascal Siakim the hardest time of any defender. I wonder what might have happened if Robinson wasn’t sidelined in the game’s final minutes. Mitch picks up a 2.5 out of 5 for solid play in a tough match-up.
New York’s second unit loses a step due to changes
Deuce McBride: 5 PTS (2/4 FG, 1/3 3PT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 14 mins
Miles McBride made another strong effort, but his limitations also stood out in a short-handed second unit. The bench needed an assertive presence, but McBride remained an off-ball option. To his credit, the sophomore was ready to shoot whenever he received a good pass. His 2-pointer was also a long jumper, a pull-up in transition that showed promising upside.
McBride’s defense was all-quality again. But his lack of offensive punch meant we didn’t get to watch him chasing Fred VanVleet around often enough. I think that could have catapulted his impact in this game.
Deuce has to assert himself more. He needs to attack off the dribble and show us more of that pull-up jumper if it’s in his bag. His defense is excellent, but his minutes continue to be limited whenever New York needs scoring. McBride gets a 2 out of 5 for his night.
Derrick Rose: 2 PTS (1/3 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 AST, 2 TO in 8 mins
Derrick Rose received minutes in due to Grimes’ unavailability. But he looked rusty and out of sync, producing a pair of turnovers with just 2 points and 1 assist to show for them. Thibodeau quickly sat the point guard, likely due to this game’s narrow margin for error.
Jericho Sims: 0 PTS (0/0 FG), 4 REB in 10 mins
Jericho Sims entered the game and grabbed some impressive offensive rebounds. But he also picked up 3 quick fouls while trying to guard Pascal Siakim. I saw some signs of promise as Sims denied a few drive attempts from Siakim, but the Raptors’ star kept attacking until he earned a whistle.
Thibodeau didn’t have the patience for Sims to learn on the fly. So, after a couple of tough defensive possessions, the big man was benched. I’d have been curious to see that defensive match-up a little longer, especially since no one but Mitchell Robinson defended any better.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 2 PTS (1/5 FG, 0/1 3PT), 7 REB, 1 TO in 23 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein played hard but stood out for the wrong reasons. He couldn’t replace Mitchell Robinson’s lateral movement. So Hart’s entrances rolled out a red carpet for Pascal Siakim to attack the rim. Hartenstein finished the game with a team-worst -15 +/- while Robinson boasted a team-high +9.
Hartenstein also missed a few bunnies, thanks to his putback issues. He seemed eager to fire away from the baseline but missed the one attempt he got. Things never seemed quite right for the big man, which especially hurt after Mitchell Robinson exited the game in crunch time.
I won’t beat up on Hartenstein, though. He had some nice moments with challenging shots at the rim. His rebounding effort was impressive against the long, athletic Raptors. But this was a bad match-up for Hartenstein’s skillset. So the backup center gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the rough night.
Another good effort, but questions arise for Tom Thibodeau
The million-dollar question for Tom Thibodeau is, “why didn’t you double-team Pascal Siakim?” Siakim exploded from early on and never slowed down. Thibodeau tried every individual defender, but nothing worked. Thibs’ decision created a striking contrast next to the Raptors, who spent the entire game doubling Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
But there’s plenty to appreciate from Thibodeau’s night. He spent the entire first half burning timeouts to keep the Knicks focused and try new approaches. That limited Thibodeau to three timeouts in the second half, but it was necessary. The half-time adjustments for New York seemed to work despite falling short late.
Even with the stubbornness about Siakim, I wouldn’t pin this loss on Thibodeau. The Knicks left 7 points at the free-throw line and turned the rock over 16 times. Those are mistakes that a coach can’t help. Thibodeau gets a 2.5 out of 5 for trying everything but the most obvious solution to the problem.
Closing Thoughts
The streak is over, and now we have to wonder if the Knicks can maintain their confidence without the aura of invincibility. I don’t think that will be a problem. The ways they fought back while Raptors’ stars made big shots was a sign of evolution. New York didn’t have Jalen Brunson to turn to, but they still found scoring from their other key players.
So, my optimist cap goes on, and I think this might be a good thing. The pressure of a big winning streak is gone. The Knicks’ offense continued to roll even without their glue piece. The team’s chemistry feels more real than ever after this game.
But now they have to prove it’s sustainable. The Chicago Bulls have every reason to want revenge, and the Philadelphia 76ers are a mountain to climb after. But I relish this opportunity for the Knicks to prove that the streak wasn’t a mirage. We’ll talk after the Bulls game and see where everything stands. I’ll see you then, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out Knicks News, where CP and Alex discuss New York’s front office inquiring about OG Anunoby!
