Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists as the New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors 122-120 at Madison Square Garden, bouncing back from an early preseason defeat. The victory concludes the team’s preparation ahead of the regular season, while Houston rolled past Oklahoma City 116-89 in the night’s other matchup.
Knicks Close Out Preseason With Hard-Fought Win Over Toronto
Two days after suffering a 148-98 loss to the Raptors in Toronto, the Knicks returned their regular starters to the floor for the preseason finale. Towns fell just one assist shy of a triple-double in his 29 minutes of action, controlling the boards and facilitating the offense for New York. Jalen Brunson chipped in 20 points and 7 assists, orchestrating a crucial third-quarter surge that allowed the hosts to regain control after a tough stretch.
Mikal Bridges added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Andre Drummond provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Landry Shamet contributed 13 points, Jose Alvarado hit all three of his attempts from beyond the arc for 9 points, and Miles McBride also scored 9 points on 3/6 shooting from three-point range. Toronto pushed the hosts until the final minute, drawing even at 117-117 before late baskets by Tyler Kolek and Tyler Nickel secured the victory for the home side.
Raptors Push New York to the Brink Behind Scottie Barnes
Toronto pushed the hosts, as Scottie Barnes tallied 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-5 from deep, alongside 4 blocks. RJ Barrett added 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists against his former team, and Immanuel Quickley posted 18 points and 7 assists. Kawhi Leonard played 23 minutes for the visitors, finishing with 6 points on 2-of-5 shooting. Mohamed Diawara and Pacôme Dadiet also saw floor time for New York, scoring 6 points apiece.
Houston Overwhelms Shorthanded Oklahoma City From Long Range
In Texas, the Houston Rockets dismantled the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-89 behind a decisive 37-20 fourth-quarter advantage and a stark disparity in perimeter shooting. Bogdan Bogdanovic led all Houston scorers with 15 points in 16 minutes, converting 5 of his 8 attempts from 3-point range. Alperen Sengun registered a stat line of 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks, while Amen Thompson added 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Tari Eason shot 5-for-7 for 12 points, and Kevin Durant recorded 11 points in 16 minutes.
The Thunder struggled mightily from beyond the arc, hitting just 5 of 36 attempts for a 13.9% clip. Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 18 points and 7 rebounds, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 17 points and 3 assists. Playing without Chet Holmgren, the squad surrendered 34 assists to Houston while committing 17 turnovers.
