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Grades as the Toronto Raptors hold off the New York Knicks

By Thomas Valentine

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 24: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors reacts to a foul called against one of his teammates in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 24, 2020 in New York City.The Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks 118-112.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 24: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors reacts to a foul called against one of his teammates in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 24, 2020 in New York City.The Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks 118-112.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors – Fred VanVleet (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Toronto Raptors avoided a potential upset with a win on the road against the New York Knicks. How did everyone grade in the win?

Hmmm, a win really is a win, right? No matter how it looks. Luckily for the Toronto Raptors, it’s pretty easy to believe that sentiment. Against the New York Knicks, they struggled to fend off the third-worst team in the NBA by record, but eventually got the job done in the fourth quarter.

The New York Knicks’ ability to rebound the ball and garner second-chance points kept them in the game for four quarters, and they even held the largest lead of the game, but the Raptors were able to show their quality in the fourth quarter to hold off the Knicks.

It started pretty well for the home team at Madison Square Garden, even without first-round pick RJ Barrett, who has missed the last four games with a right ankle sprain. They were able to rely on their plethora of forwards to carry the scoring and to crash the offensive glass. New York outrebounded the Raptors by 15 and had nine more offensive rebounds, leading to 28 second-chance points.

Still, it would be the Raptors who would get the job done, showing their quality late in the game. A second-quarter surge gave the Raptors the boost they needed after a poor first quarter, and they would go on to shoot 48-percent from three on 50-percent from the field.

After returning from injury against the San Antonio Spurs, this looked like the first real time that Pascal Siakam has looked close to his best, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and a very late three to finish the game. However, it would be Kyle Lowry that would stand out above them all.

Lowry, like so many times before, carried the Raptors with 26 points and some late free throws to help seal the game. His performance reflects well with a strong grade, but what about the other eight players who featured?

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