Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points — including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:11 to play in the fourth quarter — and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting New York Knicks 90-87 on Friday night.
Fred VanVleet added 17 points and 11 assists for the Raptors, who have won both meetings with the Knicks this season.
Scottie Barnes had 12 points and career-best 15 rebounds for Toronto, Pascal Siakam had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Chris Boucher scored 14 points.
Obi Toppin had career highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks. RJ Barrett also had 19 points, Julius Randle had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Derrick Rose scored 11.
Toronto watched its 20-point first-quarter lead shrink to four points after three quarters.
Trent opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, but Toppin’s 3-pointer tied the game at 73 with 7:49 remaining.
Toronto took a five-point lead with 4:29 to play on VanVleet’s 3-pointer. However, Barrett’s 3-pointer cut the lead to three with 2:48 to go and his jumper 43 seconds later trimmed the margin to one. Rose’s jumper gave New York a one-point lead with 1:42 to play, but Trent hit a 3-pointer for a two-point Toronto lead with 1:11 to go.
Randle had a chance to give New York the lead, but he missed a 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds to play. Trent split two free throws with 0.9 seconds left, and then Barrett missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Toronto led 31-14 after one quarter.
Toppin’s dunk with 6:47 to play in the second quarter cut the lead to seven, and Immanuel Quickley’s 3-pointer tied the game with 4:43 remaining. The Raptors closed the first half on an 11-3 run, capped by Siakam’s dunk, to lead 50-42.
The Knicks scored the first eight points of the third quarter, six by Nerlens Noel. Toronto responded with a 7-0 run and went on to lead 69-65 after three quarters.
The Raptors were without OG Anunoby (hip pointer), Khem Birch (knee) and Precious Achiuwa (shoulder).
–Field Level Media
