New York Knicks vs Toronto Raptors Recap, Highlights, Final Score, More

The New York Knicks fought hard but came up short against the Toronto Raptors Saturday night.

The New York Knicks had another disappointing night Saturday. They were able to hang with the Toronto Raptors throughout the night but in the end, they crumbled and the Raptors took home the victory.

The game was close throughout, as no team had a lead larger than six points until the final moments of the fourth quarter. Every punch was met with a counter punch from the other team as the lead was traded back and forth throughout the game. When it came to crunch time though the Raptors executed while the Knicks struggled.

The free throw line was once again a problem for the Knicks. The Raptors were aided by some late game fouling, but even before that the differential was a big one. For the game, the Raptors took 38 free throws and made 33. The Knicks attempted only 16, making 12. DeMar DeRozan had 13 attempts alone, almost out-attempting the Knicks by himself.

The Raptors also took advantage of the turnovers that the Knicks had. 16 turnovers isn’t a horrible number, but it isn’t great either. Off those turnovers, the Raptors scored 23 points. They took full advantage of the easy opportunities that the Knicks provided them.

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Even when the Knicks weren’t turning the ball over things were relatively easy for the Raptors. The Knicks defense, especially in the pick-and-roll, is still a huge problem. The Knicks are not rotating well, leaving rollers to the basket wide open or players open for uncontested jump shots. The Raptors shot 47 percent for the game, but truly took over at the foul line.

Defense remains a huge problem for the Knicks and is something they need to figure out. Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are getting abused in the pick-and-roll and leaving the big men out to dry. The Knicks offense has been fine, but the defensive side of the ball needs big improvements.

Three Stars

SG DeMar DeRozan, Raptors — DeRozan is off to a historic start to the season and it continued against the Knicks. Only three players have scored at least 30 points in eight of their team’s first nine games, and DeRozan made it four. He joined Michael Jordan, World B. Free, and Tiny Archibald as the only players to do so after scoring 33 against the Knicks.

C Lucas Nogueira, Raptors — Nogueira was a difference maker tonight in the paint. He contested shots and made things difficult inside for the Knicks. He cleaned up missed shots offensively with four offensive rebounds, grabbing 10 total in the game. He added six points, five blocks, three steals and one assist as well.

SF Carmelo Anthony, Knicks — Anthony returned tonight with a vengeance after getting ejected from last night’s game against the Boston Celtics. Last night he scored 12 points in 12 minutes and picked up right where he left off. Anthony scored a team-high 31 points, going 10-of-21 from the field. He made 3-of-7 from deep and 8-of-9 from the foul line. He also added six rebounds and four assists.

Highlights

Next: New York Knicks 30 Greatest Players Of All-Time

Next Game

The Knicks will return back to Madison Square Garden and host the Dallas Mavericks Monday. The Raptors will head on the road to face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.