Towns puts Knicks back on winning track
The New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors in the only NBA game on Monday the week the NBA Cup knockout round begins.
Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket against Scottie Barnes.
Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the court with a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds in a hard-fought win by the New York Knicks over the Toronto Raptors, 113-108, in the only game played Monday in the NBA.
Towns returned to the lineup after sitting out the Knicks' loss to Detroit on Saturday because of a sore right knee. In fact, his teammates missed him and lost a game after a streak of four straight wins.
The Knicks needed his contribution in an electrifying game that featured 19 lead changes with a nail-biting finish. R.J. Barrett, a former Knick, tied the score 108-108 for Toronto with a layup with 42.1 seconds left. But Towns, assisted by Jalen Brunson, made a layup and then came up with a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left that sealed the win.
Knicks have won 10 of their last 13 games
Mikal Bridges added 23 points and Brunson had 20 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who have won 10 of their last 13 games.
Barrett led the Raptors with 30 points. Rookie Ja'Kobe Walter scored a career-high 19 points, and Scottie Barnes scored 15 for the Raptors before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle after colliding with Towns under the rim. It's another blow for Barnes, the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year, who missed 11 games this season with a fracture.
NBA Cup knockout round gets underway
No more games were played in the NBA as the league prepares for the NBA Cup knockout round. The quarterfinals begin Tuesday when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Dallas Mavericks. On Wednesday, the Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks, and the Houston Rockets will play at home against the Golden State Warriors. The winners will play the semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas, and the final will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
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