TORONTO — In and out.
Julius Randle’s go-ahead attempt with three seconds remaining hit the rim twice but bounced out, and RJ Barrett’s potential equalizer at the buzzer fell short, as the Knicks lost again Friday to the Raptors, 90-87.
Obi Toppin was the hero for much of the night, securing his first double-double with a career-high 19 points. But he watched from the bench as the Knicks (12-14), losers of 5 of their last 6, couldn’t close.
Toronto’s big shot occurred with 1:11 remaining by Gary Trent Jr., who buried a trey on a possession with two offensive rebounds. The Knicks then missed their final four shots, including Randle’s open attempt at the top of the key.
He received the ball from Barrett, who passed up on a potential tying bucket from under the basket and kicked it out. After Trent Jr. missed one of his two free throws on the following Toronto possession, the Knicks had 0.6 seconds left with a 3-point deficit.
Barrett heaved a shot off the inbounds that clanged off the rim. Game over.
Barrett, a Toronto native, returned home for just the second time since being drafted by the Knicks and told MSG Network he brought 1,000 fans to the arena. He dropped 19 points but missed 11 of his 16 attempts.
Randle finished with just 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, becoming increasingly passive offensively. Toppin again stole the show. Two nights earlier, the power forward made the rounds in all the highlight packages by going through his legs for a breakaway dunk in Indiana. He has become a reason to hopeful about the Knicks during a mostly disappointing start to this campaign.
The first half was about extreme runs.
The Raptors pounced first by taking a 30-10 lead after tipoff, pounding the Knicks’ starting lineup. New York responded with a 29-9 run.
At the end of the rollercoaster, the Knicks trailed by 8 at the break.
Nerlens Noel returned to the Knicks’ lineup following his one-game absence due to a sore back, but the starters were a disaster as a unit. Noel managed just 13 minutes and six points. Alec Burks, who replaced Kemba Walker in the lineup last week, missed all seven of his attempts and scored just one point in 37 minutes. Evan Fournier, who had chalked up his struggles the previous two games to food poisoning caused by a steak dinner in San Antonio, had just nine points in 24 minutes.
The Knicks are 1-5 since Walker’s demotion. Toronto won despite shooting just 34.5% on the evening, with Trent Jr. leading the home team with 24 points.
--------
