Dylan Backer
The New York Knicks’ defense is legit. Against a good Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the Knicks silenced Toronto’s offense once again, holding them under 100 points to win 111-95.
Knicks’ defensive excellence on full display vs. Raptors
New York has now won 15 of their last 19 games, turning around a disastrous January to looking like title contenders again. Additionally, the Knicks are now 4-0 against the Raptors and have held them under 100 points in three of those victories.
Josh Hart was the standout performer on defense, winning Defensive Player of the Game for his effort. He finished with three steals and two blocks, along with 12 rebounds as he made a serious impact all night long.
The Knicks’ really picked up after the first quarter, a period in which New York allowed 31 points. The energy seemed to shift once Jose Alvarado checked into the game, as he and Mikal Bridges led a strong defensive unit that allowed to take a commanding lead that they would ultimately not relinquish.
Knicks getting good defense from everyone
Furthermore, Karl-Anthony Towns continues to play his best stretch of basketball on the defensive side. He defended the rim well once again, and the Raptors turned the ball over 13 times. The team’s recent upwards trend defensively is largely because of his improvement, which changes so much about the team overall.
They have a massive test coming up with three important games against the top West teams. They face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Wednesday before going out West to face the Denver Nuggets on Friday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
If they can come out of that stretch cleanly, the conversation about how far they can go in the playoffs will change drastically. Right now, everything is working for them, and the main catalyst behind their winning is their tight defense.
If they continue to play at that level regularly, it is going to be tough for any team to take them down.
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