NBA: Knicks edge Raptors by two points

New York found the points they needed on their bench to withstand a Toronto comeback. The Knicks beat Toronto 122 to 120 at Madison Square Garden on the night of 15 to 16 October, Brazzaville time. Jalen Brunson scored 20 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished one assist short of a triple-double and the New York bench contributed 63 points. At the other end, Scottie Barnes's 23 points and the Raptors' fightback in the final quarter were not enough.

Knicks build a lead, Toronto fight back

New York won each of the first three quarters: 35 to 32, 28 to 26 and then 24 to 21. Without ever pulling clear for good, the Knicks stretched their lead from three points after twelve minutes to five at half-time (63 to 58), then to eight going into the final period (87 to 79).

Toronto changed the shape of the scoreboard in the last twelve minutes, winning them 41 to 35. The Raptors scored more points in that quarter alone than in the whole of the third, but their comeback stalled two points short. The final score therefore tells of a hard-fought win, a long way from a game New York controlled to the end.

Brunson leads, Towns links the play

Brunson contributed 20 points and seven assists in 29 minutes. Alongside him, Towns made his mark differently: 13 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. His work on the boards and his passing gave the Knicks an anchor that did not rely solely on the point guard's finishing. The big man also hit two of his five three-point attempts.

Mikal Bridges added 14 points on six-of-nine shooting. Not everything worked for the starters, though. OG Anunoby finished with six points, making two of ten shots and none of five from beyond the arc. Mohamed Diawara also scored six points, on two-of-ten shooting. The win does not erase those shooting struggles; it highlights the solutions found elsewhere in the rotation.

Bench gives New York 63 points

Andre Drummond was particularly productive: 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists in fifteen minutes, hitting six of seven shots. Landry Shamet contributed 13 points. Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride added nine points each, all of them from behind the arc: three three-pointers from three attempts for the former, three from six for the latter.

In total, the Knicks' reserves scored 63 points, against 45 for Toronto's. That gap of 18 points helps explain how New York were able to win despite the limited shooting of some of their starters. It does not sum up the rotations on its own, but it shows how much the bench contributed in attack.

Barnes responds, Raptors still seeking balance

Barnes posted the game's top score with 23 points on nine-of-fifteen shooting, including four three-pointers from five attempts. He also handed out four assists and blocked four shots. RJ Barrett backed up that effort with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists; Immanuel Quickley finished with 18 points and seven assists.

Behind them, Collin Murray-Boyles gathered 12 points, five rebounds and three steals. Jamison Battle scored ten points. But other contributors fared less well: Jamal Shead turned the ball over four times and finished one-of-six from the field, while Ja'Kobe Walter also ended one-of-six. Toronto found enough resources to get back into the game, without matching the scoring output of the opposing bench.

Preseason markers, no definitive verdict

New York end this game with one win and four defeats in the preseason; Toronto have two wins and two losses. These records remain those of a warm-up campaign. The Knicks can take away the complementarity of Brunson and Towns, as well as the depth of their scoring options. The Raptors leave with a complete performance from Barnes and a reaction in the final quarter, but also work to do on continuity between their different rotations.

Match highlights on video

Watch the highlights of New York v Toronto in the YouTube player below. Video from the official NBA on ESPN channel.