Karl-Anthony Towns on Monday delivered a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds as the New York Knicks warmed up for the NBA Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 113-108 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Towns was back in the lineup after missing the Knicks’ loss to Detroit on Saturday with a sore knee — a defeat that ended New York’s four-game winning streak.
New York needed his contribution in a bruising game that featured 19 lead changes.
Photo: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Toronto’s R.J. Barrett — a former Knick — tied it at 108-108 with a finger-roll layup with 42.1 seconds remaining, but Towns, fed by Jalen Brunson, made a driving layup, then, after former Raptor O.G. Anunoby came up with a big block for the Knicks, drilled a three-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining that sealed the win.
The clash in Toronto was the only game on Monday’s slate as the league geared up for the knockout stage of the NBA Cup this week.
The quarter-finals were to tip off yesterday with the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Dallas Mavericks.
The Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks today and the Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors.
The winners are to play the semi-finals on Saturday in Las Vegas, where the final is to be held on Tuesday next week.
Mikal Bridges added 23 points, while Brunson had 20 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who have won 10 of their past 13 games.
Anunoby scored 14 points in his first game in Toronto since landing with the Knicks.
Barrett led the Raptors with 30 points. Rookie Ja’Kobe Walter scored a career-high 19 and Scottie Barnes scored 15 for the Raptors before departing in the third quarter with a sprained ankle after colliding with Towns under the basket.
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