Raptors 148, Knicks 98: Toronto turns a preseason game into a shooting lesson
Toronto led by 39 at halftime and by as many as 53 as Kawhi Leonard scored 21 in 16 minutes against a Knicks side that rested its starters.
Toronto beat New York 148-98 at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night in a preseason game that was decided early. The Raptors led 86-47 at halftime, and their biggest lead of the night reached 53 points, according to Sofascore's game report.
A lopsided opening half
Toronto outscored New York 42-22 in the first quarter and 44-25 in the second. Sofascore's account has the Raptors leading for 46 minutes and 18 seconds, with New York ahead for a total of 10 seconds. Toronto's longest run was 15 straight points; the Knicks' longest was five.
The Knicks were not at full strength. Raptors Republic reports New York sat its starters after playing the previous day, leaving its bench and players likely to end up with the franchise's G League affiliate on the floor. Yahoo Sports described the visitors as shorthanded.
Leonard, Barnes and Murray-Boyles
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points in 16 minutes, going 4-of-8 from three and adding five rebounds and two steals, per Raptors Republic. He was on a minutes restriction, according to head coach Darko Rajaković, and checked out for good at halftime with Toronto up 39. Yahoo Sports quoted Leonard afterward: "Feels good. Just being able to get out there and play against a different opponent was great," and "It's all about having a defensive mindset first and sharing the basketball."
Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles each finished with 19 points. Barnes was 8-of-10 from the field; Murray-Boyles was 7-of-7. Sofascore lists Ja'Kobe Walter with 14 and Tyreke Key with 11. Rookie Allen Graves made his Raptors debut, playing 15 minutes, per Raptors Republic.
For New York, James Wiseman scored 18, RJ Barrett 17, Mohamed Diawara 13 and Tyler Nickel 11, according to Sofascore.
The numbers behind the margin
Toronto shot 57% from the field and 17-of-44 (38%) from three. New York shot 39% overall and 7-of-41 (17%) from beyond the arc. The Raptors also made 29 of 35 free throws to the Knicks' 23 of 33. The one quarter New York won was the third, 31-30, by which point the game was long settled.
What it means
Preseason results carry little weight, and this one is a clear example: one side was close to its regular rotation and the other largely was not. What it does offer is a look at Toronto's rotation with Leonard in it, a first Raptors appearance for Graves, and shooting efficiency from Barnes and Murray-Boyles that the Raptors will not need to repeat to be satisfied. The score belongs on the record; the conclusions drawn from it should stay modest.