The Toronto Raptors (37-18) defeated the host New York Knicks (24-34) 122-95, on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
This was a big win for the Raptors as they logged their second in a row, bouncing back from a two game losing streak. After a close first quarter, which finished with the Knicks up by two, Toronto blew the game open with a 31-15 second quarter, putting the Raptors up 57-43 going into the half. Toronto closed out the second half strong, hanging on to the lead the whole way. The Raptors have now won 16 of their last 19, while the Knicks have lost 12 of their last 14. With this win DeMar DeRozan passed Chris Bosh and Morris Peterson to become the player with the most wins in a Raptors uniform.
The Raptors came into this game ranking fifth in opponent points allowed, with 97.7 and after a couple of sloppy performances surrounding the All-Star break, proved that they are back in their defensive groove as they held the Knicks to 95 points. They also scored a season high 122 points, thanks to 52 percent shooting from the field and 11-of-25 shooting from long range. Kyle Lowry notched a triple-double with 22 points (7-13 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 11 assists and 11 rebounds, in 35 minutes. DeMar DeRozan added another 22 points (8-17 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-7 FT) from Toronto's starting back court, along with three rebounds, three steals and two assists, in 31 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas was solid in the middle, with 20 points (9-14 FG, 2-2 FT), six rebounds and three blocked shots, in 25 minutes.
The Knicks struggled to find a rhythm against the pesky Toronto defense. They shot 44 percent from the field, only 6-for-20 from downtown and missed eight free throws. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks in scoring with 23 points (8-17 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 6-10 FT), along with 11 rebounds and five assists, in 37 minutes. Robin Lopez posed a bit of a problem for the Raptors as he poured in 21 points (10-14 FG, 1-1 FT), along with 13 rebounds, in 28 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis was relatively quiet with 17 points (7-14 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-6 FT) and two rebounds, in 32 minutes. With this loss the Knicks are now 14-16 at home.
Next the Knicks will play in Indiana on Wednesday.
The Raptors will host the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
