Raptors keep away from one other collapse behind Scottie Barnes’ brilliance vs. Knicks

A deep sigh of reduction came to visit Scotiabank Area on Sunday because the Toronto Raptors got here away with a 125-116 win over the New York Knicks.

It did not come simple, and it as soon as once more seemed like they have been going to surrender a double-digit lead for the third straight contest. Toronto opened sizzling, going up 17 close to the top of the primary, however defensive lapses let the Knicks again into the sport, as they grabbed the lead within the third quarter behind a 12-0 run.

With the matchup tied 86-86 going into the fourth, head coach Nick Nurse took a danger. He sat his stars in Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, which has oftentimes proved pricey for the Raptors. What adopted was a pleasing shock in Scotiabank Area, which for the primary time all season wasn’t bought out — maybe an indication of how little hope stays for the season.

As an alternative, it was a lineup of Juancho Hernangomez, Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher, Gary Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes that pushed the Raptors ahead. They outscored the Knicks 26-10 within the first 7:15 of the ultimate body, serving to Toronto put collectively a double-digit lead, which might finally translate to a win.

Barnes led the cost by getting teammates concerned, as Trent put up huge pictures, ending with eight of his 24 factors within the fourth quarter. Nurse applauded Barnes’ capacity to name screens for Trent for various actions, direct visitors, push the group on the break, all whereas making easy passes — with maybe the outlier being his “74-yard landing.”

“Coaches tonight gave [Scottie] the lineup there within the fourth and he was in a position to capitalize and run the present,” VanVleet stated post-game, after ending with a team-high 28 factors.

“He is continued to develop as a participant, and the sky is the restrict clearly.”

Barnes stated he was seeking to simply play with “excessive I.Q.” by attacking the identical openings he discovered towards the Knicks, as he completed with 19 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists.

For something that didn’t work, Achiuwa and Boucher cleaned up the glass with offensive boards for what Nurse calls “high-spirit performs.” The centre duo finally completed with a mixed 26 factors and 18 rebounds, because it marked the second profitable begin for Achiuwa.

On defence, that lineup slowed down the Knicks by “flying round within the zone” and limiting second probabilities.

The position gamers stepping up meant no Raptor logged over 40 minutes, ending a four-game streak for Siakam, who completed with 24 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists in 33 minutes. It was their rebounding prowess that Nurse says allowed him to run with that lineup for thus lengthy, as they restricted the Knicks to at least one offensive rebound within the fourth, after they completed the primary three frames with 13.

The victory snapped a three-game dropping skid for the Raptors, and helped them bounce again from a tough loss on Saturday versus the Boston Celtics, the place they gave up an 11-point lead, and a Thursday loss vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves, the place they squandered an 18-point benefit. Surrendering leads has been a recurring pattern for the Raptors this season, as they now sit eleventh within the Japanese Convention at 21-27, their worst by 48 video games because the 2012-13 season.

It appeared just like the Raptors may need sadly walked towards the same collapse on Sunday. They opened the primary quarter with arguably considered one of their greatest frames of the season, outscoring the Knicks 37-22 behind a red-hot taking pictures show.

They held the momentum, although Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett mixed for 15 factors on 50 p.c taking pictures within the first quarter, which included this thunderous slam.

The second interval resembled extra of a scrimmage, with each groups combining for 9 turnovers. The insanity continued within the third, till the Knicks took maintain of momentum. With round three minutes left in that body, the Knicks ran off a 12-0 run to take their first lead because the first. Seven of these factors got here as second-chance alternatives.

That Barnes-led lineup finally stopped the bleeding to take again the momentum, and likewise slowed down Randle, who completed with two factors within the ultimate body. When requested post-game how the Raptors can climate a majority of these storms, VanVleet chalked it as much as the character of the NBA.

“You possibly can’t actually focus on the leads within the NBA. In the event you watch sufficient video games, you perceive, you realize it’s up and down, you realize it’s arduous to play with a lead,” he stated.

“Closing the video games, we will do this somewhat bit higher. And also you definitely do not wish to be on the fallacious finish of a run to finish the sport, you realize, like in Minnesota. We’re enjoying fairly good basketball, not nice. And positively not that championship caliber by any stretch, however we’re getting higher.”

Following the win, the Raptors now set their eyes on a seven-game street journey earlier than returning to Scotiabank Area on the cusp of the NBA’s Feb. 9 commerce deadline.

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