Julius Randle put the finishing touches on a 34-point performance by hitting a clutch jumper with 1:17 remaining and the host New York Knicks outlasted the Toronto Raptors 136-130 on Monday night.
Randle produced his second-highest scoring showing of the season and scored his only basket of the fourth quarter by sinking a contested 13-footer in the lane that put New York up 131-123.
Randle led six scorers in double figures as the Knicks struggled to shake the Raptors all night before avoiding their first three-game losing streak of the season. New York shot a season-best 60.5 percent from the field.
RJ Barrett added 12 of his season-high 27 points in the fourth, including a layup that snapped a 108-108 tie and gave the Knicks the lead for good with 7:46 left.
Jalen Brunson, who tweaked his ankle in the waning seconds of Friday’s loss in Boston, contributed 21 points and nine of New York’s season-best 36 assists. Quentin Grimes finished with 19 points and hit five of New York’s 17 3-pointers, while Josh Hart collected 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Knicks got the win after announcing that starting center Mitchell Robinson would be out for at least two months because of left ankle surgery. New York also played without key reserve Immanuel Quickley (right knee inflammation).
OG Anunoby scored a season-best 29 points, but the Raptors dropped their fourth straight game and lost for the sixth time in seven games. Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and Dennis Schroder added 20 apiece as Toronto shot 49 percent from the floor.
Randle scored 15 points in the first quarter as the Knicks took an eight-point lead before settling for a 35-35 tie at the end of the period. New York held a nine-point edge later in the first half and took a 66-60 lead into the break, but Toronto started the third quarter on a 13-5 run for a 73-71 lead on a basket by Anunoby with 8:32 left.
New York held a 94-88 lead on Brunson’s 13-footer with 2:18 remaining but settled for a 98-97 advantage entering the fourth.
The Knicks were up 115-108 after Hart’s layup with 6:52 to play, but the Raptors hung around and trailed 121-117 on Siakam’s layup with 4:01 left. Grimes and Hart hit threes on consecutive possessions to spark an 8-2 burst that put New York up 129-119 with 2:40 remaining.
–Field Level Media
