Karl-Anthony Towns scored the go-ahead layup in the final minute and had 24 points and 15 rebounds as the visiting New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors 113-108 on Monday night.
Towns followed his key basket with a 3-pointer to clinch New York’s fifth win in its past six games.
Mikal Bridges added 23 points for New York, Jalen Brunson had 20 points and 11 assists, Josh Hart scored 10 points, and former Raptor OG Anunoby had 14 points and three blocked shots.
Former Knick RJ Barrett scored 30 points for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes scored 15 points before leaving the game with an ankle injury in the third quarter. Jakob Poeltl had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Ja’Kobe Walter scored a career-best 19 points off the bench.
The Knicks led 34-27 after one quarter and used a 7-0 spurt to lead by 11 points with 7:18 to play in the second quarter. Toronto scored 13 straight points to take a 55-53 lead with 2:35 remaining. The Raptors led 61-60 at halftime after Brunson missed two free throws with six seconds remaining.
Barnes hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Toronto a five-point lead with 8:23 to play in the third quarter.
Barnes and Towns were both down on the floor after tangling feet with 6:47 to play in the third. Barnes, who was called for a foul on the play, limped to the dressing room. Towns stayed on the court and made two free throws. Barnes (sprained right ankle) did not return. Toronto led 86-83 after three quarters.
New York took a two-point lead on a 3-pointer by Towns with 5:12 to go in the game. Barrett tied the game on a layup and Davion Mitchell’s 3-pointer gave Toronto a 104-101 lead.
Brunson converted a four-point play to put New York ahead by one with 3:03 left. Toronto regained the lead on Mitchell’s layup but Bridges answered with a 3-pointer with 1:38 left. Barrett’s layup tied the game with 42 seconds remaining, setting up the final sequence in which Towns put the game away.
–Field Level Media