NY Knicks own nine straight over Toronto Raptors entering NBA Cup quarter-final
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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson looks to drive past Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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TORONTO – The visiting New York Knicks can advance to the East semi-finals of the NBA Cup Tuesday night by maintaining their mastery of the Toronto Raptors.
The Knicks have defeated the Raptors nine consecutive times entering their NBA Cup quarter-final in Canada. That includes the only meeting between the teams this season, a 116-94 home victory on Nov 30.
The NBA Cup, however, has been good to the Raptors. They finished first in the East Group A with a 4-0 record to earn home-court advantage. The Knicks were 3-1 to finish first in East Group C.
The teams have been on different trajectories recently. The Knicks have won seven of eight, while Toronto have dropped three straight and five of six.
The Raptors have not defeated the Knicks since Jan 22, 2023. They enter the contest on the back of a 121-113 loss to the Boston Celtics.
“I’m demanding more urgency from the whole team, because when we do that like we did in the second half (against Boston), we’re a completely different team, and we can compete with any team in this league,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said as he looked ahead to the clash with the Knicks.
“We just have to do that over the course of 48 minutes. It cannot be just one half.”
One key factor could be the Knicks’ injury issues. Karl-Anthony Towns did not play in their last game – a 1-6-100 win over the Magic – due to left calf tightness and has been listed as day-to-day. Miles McBride left in the third quarter with an injured left ankle that required a walking boot and a scheduled MRI.
But New York had former Raptor OG Anunoby back for a second game after missing nine with a strained hamstring and he produced 21 points.
“The versatility that OG gives us, it’s unbelievable,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “At his size, he can guard a lot of different people. Having that size and versatility from OG defensively is huge. Then you flip it: His shooting, his ability to attack the rim, all those things, at his size, are huge for us.”
Meanwhile in NBA action on Monday, a balanced scoring attack helped Phoenix outlast Minnesota 108-105 despite a 40-point NBA performance by Anthony Edwards while San Antonio held off New Orleans 135-132.
Phoenix, missing top scorer Devin Booker due to a groin injury, improved to 14-10 by snapping the Timberwolves’ five-game win streak with Mark Williams scoring 22 points to top six double-digit scorers.
The Spurs, still without French star Victor Wembanyama due to a left calf strain that has caused him to miss 11 games, got 24 points from Harrison Barnes and 22 from reserve Dylan Harper. REUTERS, AFP
