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Recap: New York Knicks defeat Toronto Raptors 110-84 (3/23/13)

Brian Boake — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:44:51 +0000

The Toronto Raptors faced the New York Knicks without Rudy Gay, and with a hobbled Amir Johnson. The result was another ugly defeat in a season full of them. The Knicks are injury-riddled as well, but their mission-critical offensive contributors are just fine, thank you. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith combined for 53 points, and Kenyon Martin cleaned up the boards to add 18 more. The Raps, in theory a perimeter-shooting team (but one which can’t shoot from the perimeter), were outclassed from the opening tip.

Mar 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Toronto Raptors shooting guard Terrence Ross (31) forces New York Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni (9) to pass during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Watching the game was disturbing, and a glance at the box score is enough to induce nausea. The Knicks outperformed Toronto in every statistical category one cares to name: total rebounds (44-35), 3-pointers (7-4, and with fewer attempts – John Lucas missed all 7 he tried), steals (14-6), assists (20-13)….is that enough unpleasantness? I’m going to pile on – the Raps poured in 30 points in the second quarter, and the singularly unfazed Knicks added 38 of their own. The Raps lost every quarter.

Terrence Ross was given substantial floor time (only 8 players hit the floor for coach Dwane Casey), and responded with 13 points, including 3 of 5 from long distance. Terrence continues to aggravate with his penchant for turning the ball over. I think he still underestimates the quickness of NBA players, e.g., Raymond Felton picked Terrence’s pocket from behind, which I’ll wager seldom or never happened to him in college. Despite his uneven play this season, the talented rookie is still our most likely future star. Jonas Valanciunas, gamely carrying on with his baptism-by-fire first season, had his second straight rough night against the aggressive, skillful Martin. JV did manage 11 points and 8 boards, but was minus28 for the game.

Mar 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) drives up to score a basket during the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 110-84. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Lowry scored 14 points, but missed all 4 of his 3-ball tries. I can’t pillory him for having only 4 assists against 3 turnovers, as the Raps missed open shots which should have led to an assist. DeMar DeRozan, a model of consistent play, led the Raps’ feeble attack with 17.

The Raps return home to take on another playoff-bound team, the Atlanta Hawks, on Wednesday evening. Amir Johnson bobbleheads will be given away prior to the game. The way the Raps are playing, that might be the highlight of the night.

Brian Boake is a co-editor for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.

Recap: New York Knicks defeat Toronto Raptors 99-94 (3/22/13)

Brian Boake — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:07:47 +0000

In the fourth quarter of last night’s tilt at the Air Canada Centre, the Toronto Raptors found themselves in the all-too-familiar position of trying to fight back from a substantial early deficit. The New York Knicks, led by the seemingly unstoppable Carmelo Anthony, had forged a 13-point lead by halftime. However, the streaky Alan Anderson entered The Zone, pouring in 20 points in the third quarter on his way to a career-high 35. The Raps continued to chip away, and a DeMar DeRozan 3-point play brought the home team within a pair of points. But, like so many times this season, there was no happy ending. A 3-ball from the unlikely hands of Raymond Felton was the capper on a 10-2 run, and a Knicks win was assured.

Mar 22, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Raptors forward Alan Anderson (6) goes to the basket as New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) defends at the Air Canada Centre. The Knicks beat the Raptors 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Had Anderson not found his shooting touch, the game would have been an embarrassment for Toronto. Terrence Ross and John Lucas tried ten 3-balls, to no avail. Rudy Gay’s wonky back betrayed him, and he left the game in the second quarter, not to return. His four points was a far cry from the 26 he had averaged in his previous two games. DeRozan was solid with 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting. Kyle Lowry turned in one of his better games, with 10 assists against 2 turnovers. He also nailed three 3-balls on six tries. That was half of Anderson’s total, who also enjoyed a four-point play. Jonas Valanciunas was not as dominating as I had thought he might be. Kenyon Martin schooled our rookie all night. The aging but still dangerous Martin missed only one shot of 10, and also pulled down 11 rebounds. In Q1, JV had his pocket picked by the wily Pablo Prigioni, who hid behind Kyle Lowry, then slipped in to intercept the in-bounds pass, eventually leading to an Anthony 3-ball. All this after Prigioni had scored a crazy 8 foot scoop-shot basket as the time clock sounded. Older players can make kids look bad when the youngsters get too casual.

Mar 22, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (3) drives to the basket against the New York Knicks at the Air Canada Centre. The Knicks beat the Raptors 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

For all the passengers the Raps had to carry (4 points for Amir Johnson?), a win might still have been attainable, but ‘Melo was too much. His 37 points, many of them scored on jump shots with Landry Fields an inch away, was the difference in this game. The Raps must hope that Rudy’s back will loosen up sufficiently to allow him to play when the season series against the Knicks concludes on Saturday night in the Big Apple.