Toronto trailed by ten, led by six and tied the game nine times before New York closed it out at the horn. Scottie Barnes caught fire in the middle of it, but the possession that mattered most ended with a missed layup at the buzzer.
A Game of Runs
Six lead changes and nine ties framed a night that never settled. New York's biggest cushion was ten points, Toronto's was six. The Knicks pulled away with an 8-0 run in the second quarter, the Raptors answered with their own 8-0 burst early in the third, and New York fired right back with nine straight. Toronto's last push was a 10-0 run in the fourth that cut a ten-point deficit to three. From there it came down to the final minute: Tyler Nickel's two free throws made it 122-117, Malachi Smith's three with 11 seconds left cut it to two, and after a Knicks turnover gave Toronto one more look, Jaden Bradley's driving layup at the rim missed as time ran out.
Three Grades
Barnes was the best player on the floor, going 9-of-15 with four 3-pointers and four blocks for 23 points in a plus-4 night. Immanuel Quickley's line was quieter, 18 points and seven assists on 6-of-10 shooting, but his plus-9 led both teams. RJ Barrett scored 21 with eight rebounds, though he made only two of six threes and finished minus-3. Jakob Poeltl's 7 points on 3-of-5 shooting, with a 1-of-4 night from the line, carried a team-worst minus-9 among the starters.
Reserves Close It Out
The final five minutes belonged to the bench: Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja'Kobe Walter, Jaden Bradley, Kyle Anderson and Nimari Burnett closed the game, with mixed results. Walter finished minus-16, Jamal Shead minus-13 and Jamison Battle minus-10, even as Anderson's plus-7 showed the group could still get stops in stretches. Toronto is in Detroit tonight to close out the preseason, and TSN's Josh Lewenberg reported that some or all of Tuesday's starters could sit that one out ahead of the October 21 opener against the Bulls.
Who led the Raptors in the loss to the Knicks?
Scottie Barnes led with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and four blocks in 28 minutes, though Immanuel Quickley's plus-9 was the best mark on the floor.
How did the Raptors-Knicks preseason game end?
Tyler Nickel's two free throws put New York up 122-117, Malachi Smith's three cut it to 120-122 with 11 seconds left, and Jaden Bradley's driving layup at the buzzer missed, sealing a two-point Toronto loss.
