This time, the Knicks didn’t have an answer. This time, they didn’t make the big shot or come up with the clutch stop.
Wednesday night, after eight straight wins spanning 18 days, the Knicks tasted defeat. Pascal Siakam and the skidding Raptors made all the big plays down the stretch after leading most of the evening and pulled out a 113-106 victory at a disappointed Garden.
Siakam was a one-man wrecking crew, scoring 52 points and Fred VanVleet added 28 in outplaying Jalen Brunson. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett each scored 30 for the Knicks, who were without Quentin Grimes (sprained right ankle). Brunson had 12 assists, but just seven points on 3 of 14 shooting and five turnovers. The Raptors had one less as a team and crushed the Knicks on the offensive glass, 16-9.
Down almost the entire way, the Knicks briefly went ahead on a Barrett slam with 3:21 to go. They had a chance to extend the lead, but Immanuel Quickley traveled and the Raptors got to three offensive rebounds on the other end, leading to two Siakam free throws. VanVleet then hit a 3-pointer in transition, extending the lead to four with 1:35 left.
It was a defense-optional first half for the Knicks. They were outworked by the Raptors and frequently beaten downcourt. Ten turnovers led to 13 transition points for Toronto, who racked up 32 points in the paint.
Siakam, in particular, had a field day over the first 24 minutes, pouring in 26 points on 11 of 15 shooting. The Knicks were able to hang close, on the strength of their efficient offense that included 52.6 percent shooting from the field and 19 points from Barrett on 7 of 12 shooting. Five missed free throws, four by Randle, did not help their cause.
The Raptors led by as many as 14 late in the first half on the strength of a 12-3 run, the first opponent to take a lead into the break against the Knicks during the win streak.
The Knicks started the third quarter with fire, ripping off a 13-2 run to briefly take the lead behind three Quickley 3-pointers. They held a four-point edge late in the stanza and seemed ready to take control. Siakam had other ideas, though. He scored 13 points in a 14-3 spurt, sending the Raptors into the final quarter with a seven-point edge. That lead ballooned back to 11 early in the frame, but it was only one after Randle scored on an offensive rebound and follow with just 3:54 left.