A shock was needed for the Raptors, returning from six defeats in a row, and that came at the hands of Pascal Siakam – unleashed against the Knicks in a match in which Toronto also reaches an 11 length lead in the fourth period, before the partial from 17-5 let us imagine not only New York’s return to the game, but also yet another victory for the hosts. However, two triples by Fred VanVleet, who finishes with 28 points, put things right for the Canadians.
The absolute protagonist of the evening is the aforementioned Pascal Siakam, who treats himself to a dream performance at Madison Square Garden – author of 52 points, a new career high, with 17/25 shooting, 16/18 free throws, nine rebounds and seven assists, partially limited in the final by the Knicks defense all collapsed on him in the last 12 minutes of the game. Toronto thus wins the first away game since November 14 despite a Scottie Barnes who struggles to find rhythm: 1/10 shooting and two points with -16 plus/minus for last season’s rookie of the year.
The Knicks streak ends at eight, despite the excellent offensive performances collected against Toronto, starting with Julius Randle’s 30 points – seasoned with 13 rebounds, four assists and arrived thanks to an excellent 13/17 shooting. RJ Barrett was also incisive, also author of 30 points with 4/6 from the arc, while Immanuel Quickley puts 20 with 7/10 from the field. The second back-to-back contest at Madison Square Garden cost the hosts a home.