Knicks collapse in second half, drop 113-104 to Raptors

The Knicks led by as many as 15 points late in the second quarter but collapsed after halftime and eventually dropped 113-104 to the Toronto Raptors last night at the Garden.

In spite of shooting over 40% from behind the arc (16-38), the Knicks committed twice as many turnovers that their opponents did (16 v 8) and alongside the poor defensive effort, it cost them in the end the game.

The Knicks were led by RJ Barrett who scored 27 points and grabbed 6 boards. He tried to force a comeback in the fourth but the Raptors, who made no substitutes in the final act, successfully preserved their lead until the final buzzer.

“I think they just played harder than us, honestly. In the NBA, most of the time, the hardest-playing team is going to win.”

– RJ Barrett

Julius Randle had a fantastic first quarter, torching the Raptors with 18 points but faded and scored just 4 more points in the other three quarters. Kemba Walker scored 15 points and Evan Fournier finished with 12. The rest of the team finished in single digits.

The Raptors were led by OG Anunoby who dropped 36 points. Gary Trent Jr followed with 26 and Fred VanVleet scored 17 and collected 9 boards.

The Knicks snapped a three game winning streak and dropped their second game at home. The game marked the 75th anniversary of the first game ever played in the NBA when the New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Huskies 68-66 on November 1st, 1946.

Don’t forget to check out RunningJumper’s broadcast recap!

Up-next: The Knicks (5-2) will travel to Indianapolis to face the Pacers (2-6) on Wednesday night from 7:00pm.