For the first time since the NBA Cup’s inception two years ago, the New York Knicks are heading to Las Vegas. They advanced to the cup semifinals on Tuesday after they defeated the Toronto Raptors 117-101, and they now improve to 17-7 on the season and have won eight of their last nine games.
Jalen Brunson was fantastic yet again for the Knicks
Jalen Brunson always turns up when the lights get brighter, and he did so yet again against the Raptors. Brunson turned in arguably his best performance of the season, and the Raptors simply had no answers for him.
Brunson finished with 35 points on absurd efficiency, shooting 13-for-19 from the floor and 6-for-9 from three. Right away, he was dialed in, scoring 20 of those points in the first quarter and missing only two shots in the period.
His hot shooting helped keep the game close after Brandon Ingram of the Raptors also got off to a hot start. He scored 17 of his 31 points in the first quarter, and Toronto led New York 39-35 after the opening frame.
However, Brunson continued his dominance all night long, and ultimately, he got more help from his supporting cast to help push them over the edge.
Knicks dominated the Raptors on the glass
New York showed some extra physicality in this one, and they dominated the rebound battle. They had 48 rebounds on the night to the Raptors’ 37, taking advantage of the shorthanded Raptors missing RJ Barrett.
Karl-Anthony Towns imposed his will inside the paint, pulling down 16 rebounds, including five offensive. Scoring wise, he finished with 14 points on 4-for-11 shooting from the floor, as well as an emphatic poster dunk over Jakob Poeltl late in the second quarter.
With the Knicks crashing the glass, Toronto couldn’t get many second chance opportunities, and New York was able to capitalize on the fastbreak chances they got. Ultimately, the Knicks seemed to be the more energized team in this one.
Knicks shot the lights out against the Raptors
The Knicks delivered an impressive overall shooting performance, making a strong impact in nearly every area of the court. As a team, they shot 52.5% from the field and 45.7% from three-point range, and got good games out of pretty much everyone.
Despite not having Miles McBride in this game due to an ankle sprain, the Knicks still got solid production from their bench. Jordan Clarkson finished with 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, and Tyler Kolek provided a quality eight minutes off the bench and was a +13.
In total, New York had six players score in double figures, a good sign that nearly everybody is on the same page, clicking. With the way they are playing right now, this team could set some unprecedented benchmarks offensively as the season goes along.
Overview
The Knicks are knocking on the doorstep of winning their first NBA Cup. They have a familiar foe on their hands in the semifinals, as they will take on the Orlando Magic on Saturday at 5:30 PM EST in Las Vegas, with a trip to the cup championship on the line.
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