Hart shines in starting lineup return as Knicks roll past Raptors 116-94

Miles McBride set the tone. Josh Hart did the rest. And the Knicks, once again, protected home court with authority. Deuce scored 12 of his total 14 pts in the first quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 22 points and 8 rebounds, while Hart delivered one of his most complete games of the season, stuffing the stat sheet with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals as the Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 116-94.

This one swung in waves. New York jumped out to a 41-20 lead before the second quarter even began, moving the ball freely and hitting from everywhere. Toronto clawed back after halftime, trimming the gap to 70-67 and briefly threatening to flip the entire script. But the Knicks responded exactly how a mature home team should, rebuilding the lead possession by possession until they pushed it to 106-83 late in the fourth. From there, the Raptors had nothing left.

The story of the night was Hart. Back in the starting lineup due to injuries to OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet, he made the kind of impact that changes games, changes tempo and changes how the Knicks operate. His demotion to the bench earlier in the year never rattled him, but his return to the first five has been transformative. The Knicks have won all four games since he began logging big minutes again, and last night he led the team with 35 minutes played. His +24 in the box score was no accident. Shooting 8-12 from the field and 4-7 from deep, he did exactly what this team needs from him: everything.

Jalen Brunson added 18 points, steady as always. But the bench support extended beyond scoring. Tyler Kolek, now seeing a consistent role under Mike Brown, played 14 confident minutes. His court vision stood out, connecting repeatedly with Mitchell Robinson and showing that his impact goes far beyond the numbers. Guerschon Yabusele also came in strong, posting 7 points and 4 rebounds in 10 high-energy minutes.

The Raptors, meanwhile, looked drained from the start. Coming off an overtime game in Charlotte, they struggled to keep up. Former Knick Immanuel Quickley led them with 19 points and 8 assists, Scottie Barnes added 18 and Brandon Ingram scored 14, but the fatigue showed everywhere else. Toronto shot just 53 percent from the free throw line and was punished on the glass all night, losing the rebounding battle 61-40.

New York’s three-point shooting put the game out of reach early. The Knicks hit 16 threes, including 11 in the first half alone, stretching the Raptors over and over until their defensive shape collapsed.

And with the win, the Knicks improved to 10-1 at home and climbed into second place in the Eastern Conference, sitting 2.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons.