The New York Knicks continue their dominance at home this season with another big victory on Sunday. They defeated the Toronto Raptors 116-94 to secure their fourth straight win, and improve to 13-6 on the season.
The Knicks offense was humming
The Knicks’ offense as a whole was clicking from the jump, as they sank nine three-pointers in just the first quarter. Miles McBride did most of his work that period, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the first quarter, including four threes.
Josh Hart led the way offensively for New York with another strong outing. He finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, four three-pointers, and three steals. He did just about everything on both ends to ensure the Knicks would win convincingly.
Karl-Anthony Towns started slow but got into a groove in the second half. He finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field, making his impact the most on the interior.
Overall, New York was blazing from the field, shooting 45% from the floor and 35% from three. While it wasn’t the prettiest of nights offensively, they are certainly starting to feel comfortable on that end of the floor, a great sign moving forward.
Mikal Bridges continues to put on a defensive clinic
Mikal Bridges has had a terrific season all-around, and once again, he put on display his tremendous defensive pressure that helped his team secure the win.
Bridges recorded four stocks on the night (two steals and two blocks). He has now recorded two or more steals in 10 consecutive games, and he is quietly putting on a campaign worthy of Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
He also held Raptors’ star Brandon Ingram to just 14 points on the night, primarily defending him throughout the game.
His impact defensively has been huge with OG Anunoby sidelined, and he is in the midst of arguably the best defensive season of his career. With this kind of production, he is worth every penny of his contract and every draft pick the Knicks traded to acquire him last year.
The Knicks had moments of stagnation
While the box score would indicate an easy victory, New York did not achieve this win without issue. After growing their lead to 24 points early in the second quarter, they began to show complacency.
They went ice cold with their shooting and played lackluster defense, allowing Toronto to cut the deficit to just five before the half was over, and three during the third quarter.
Luckily, New York picked up the intensity in the second half and eventually pulled away, taking advantage of the Raptors playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. While the result remains as a win, the Knicks need to do a better job at not allowing a large lead to shrink so quickly.
Overview
The Knicks are now 10-1 at home this season as they are starting to find their rhythm all around. They’ll go for their fifth consecutive win on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics on the road before heading back home for a three-game homestand.