Field Level Media
Jan 24, 2020
Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 26 points Friday night for the Toronto Raptors, who held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by the host New York Knicks to earn a 118-112 victory.
Pascal Siakam had 23 points and combined with Lowry to score the final 12 points -- seven for Siakam and five for Lowry -- for the Raptors, who have won six straight. Fred VanVleet scored 16 points while Norman Powell (16 points) and Serge Ibaka (14 points) reached double digits off the bench for Toronto.
Marcus Morris Sr. (21 points, 10 rebounds), Julius Randle (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Elfrid Payton (13 points, 11 assists) had double-doubles for the Knicks, who led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter and made up all of a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit but could not take the lead.
Damyean Dotson scored 21 points off the bench, while Reggie Bullock had 11 points as the Knicks fell for the fifth time in six games.
The Raptors extended their lead to as many as 12 in the third quarter and entered the fourth leading 85-79. Toronto opened the period on a 10-4 run to once again take a 12-point lead on VanVleet's jumper with 9:37 left.
But the Knicks mounted a 20-8 run over the next five-plus minutes to tie the score for the first time in the second half. Dotson, Bobby Portis and Randle accounted for the first 18 points before two free throws by Morris knotted the score at 103-103 with 4:03 left.
OG Anunoby answered with a 3-pointer to give the Raptors the lead for good. Morris missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer before Siakam drained two free throws to extend Toronto's lead to 108-103.
Payton scored the next four points to pull the Knicks within a point with 1:22 left, but Siakam delivered a thunderous dunk on the next trip down the floor. Payton followed with a turnover and Lowry hit two free throws with 48.6 seconds remaining.
Morris sank a fallaway jumper to close the Raptors' lead to 112-109, but Siakam hit a 3-pointer, and the Knicks' last hope disappeared when Portis turned the ball over with 11.7 seconds remaining.
--Field Level Media