Knicks vs Raptors

Anunoby created a cushion in overtime. On the flip side, the Knicks smashed the glass for 20 offensive rebounds as Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson mauled ...

It will be a similarly physical encounter with the Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back, and Nurse will need to extend his bench to spell his starters. He didn't get his first basket until late in the fourth on a baby hook posting up the smaller Brunson, but then he nailed back-to-back threes in overtime from two gorgeous setups by Barnes and Siakam, and returned the favor to Barnes with a shovel pass for an and-one. Anunoby can sometimes be forgotten within the flow of the offense, which then leads to him forcing shots out of rhythm, but he is always reliable in the end with his shooting and defense in close games. With the score tied, the clock turned off and both teams in the bonus, VanVleet made a strange decision to intentionally foul Brunson in the backcourt. Siakam was also left open on threes as Robinson lingered to help in the paint, but he misfired on all seven attempts. Late in the fourth, VanVleet got Quentin Grimes to bite on a shot fake, before stepping past the jumping contest for a leaning three, then followed it up with a stepback at the elbow to force the tie. Barnes played one of his most engaged games of the year and was entrusted to run the offense late in the fourth quarter and overtime. Barnes also crashed the glass to win key possessions, including being fouled on a putback where the Raptors took the lead late, then being tossed to the ground for more foul shots, and a putback late in overtime to recycle a missed layup from Precious Achiuwa. Barnes stationed himself in the paint for dump-offs like a traditional big, but also had sequences where he attacked from the perimeter for a poster dunk like a wing. Nick Nurse copped to issues of energy in diagnosing their loss to Atlanta on the weekend, and his team responded in kind with one of their most forceful performances on the season. He was the main ball handler at the end, but he was also used as a screener for most of the first three quarters. A flurry of jumpers brought the Raptors level in the fourth, then a pair of corner threes from O.G.