The Knicks beat the Raptors 122-120 on Thursday, erasing some of the sting from Tuesday's 50-point loss to the same team. Jalen Brunson scored 20, Towns finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists, and New York needed free throws and a defensive stand in the final seconds to hold on.
Answered The Blowout
Two days after Toronto ran them off the floor by 50, the Knicks delivered the opposite kind of game. There were six lead changes and nine ties, and New York's biggest lead of the night was 10 points. It came down to the final 11 seconds: Tyler Nickel made two free throws to push the lead to five, Malachi Smith hit a three to cut it back to two, and Pacome Dadiet's backcourt turnover gave Toronto one last chance. Jaden Bradley's layup attempt missed, and the Knicks held on, 122-120.
The Fourth Quarter Swing
Toronto's answer came fast. A 10-0 run starting at the 11:22 mark of the fourth turned New York's 10-point cushion into a three-point lead, 92-89, the tightest the game had been since the third quarter. The Knicks never let it slip further, trading buckets with the Raptors the rest of the way until Nickel's free throws and Smith's answer set up the final sequence.
Bench Closed It Out
Brunson, Towns and Anunoby were all off the floor for the stretch that held the lead — Drummond, Bridges, McBride, Dadiet and Kolek covered the final five minutes. By the last possession the group had turned over again: Jaden Akins, Mohamed Diawara, Dadiet, Kolek and Nickel were the five Knicks on the floor when Bradley's game-ending look missed.
Grading The Box Score
Landry Shamet was the best plus-minus on the floor at plus-14 in 24 minutes, with Miles McBride matching that mark in just 14. Drummond backed them up with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists off the bench. Towns turned in 13 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists, directing as much as scoring. Brunson led all scorers with 20, and Bridges scored 14 but was on the floor for a team-worst minus-17.
Five Days To The Opener
The split with Toronto — a 50-point loss Tuesday, a two-point win Thursday — closes the preseason series between these two teams. New York's next game is the real one: October 20, at home against the 76ers. Whatever this bench group showed in the final minutes won't matter again until then.
Did the Knicks beat the Raptors in their preseason finale?
Yes. New York won 122-120 on October 15, two days after losing to the same Raptors team by 50 points.
Who led the Knicks in the win over Toronto?
Jalen Brunson scored 20 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 13 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists in the win.
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