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The Westchester Knicks topped the Raptors 905 109-106 in a down to the wire thriller. The Knicks were looking to regain consistency heading into the game 3-2 of their last five. Knicks leading scorer T.J. Warren finished with a Knicks team-high 22 points with help from Jacob Toppin (21), Chuma Okeke (21), and Jamal Bey (20) to combine for 64 of the Knicks 109 points.
The first quarter got off to a slow start for both teams as Knicks guard Boo Buie scored the first points with three two minutes into the quarter. After a slow start, the Knicks found their rhythm and surged ahead with a flurry of jumpers, establishing an early lead of 11-4 against the Raptors 905. The 905 started slowly, shooting just 2-of-9 midway through the first half as they struggled to find a rhythm offensively.
The 905’s shots started falling after a flat start to the quarter to take their first lead of the game after a three from their All-Star AJ Lawson that put them up 16-15. Despite the 905's impressive shooting streak, the Knicks showed their resilience by continuing to battle and fight, ensuring the quarter ended with the game tied at 24 apiece. Eugene Omruyi's impressive performance included scoring 11 of the 905’s 24 points and shooting a remarkable 50% from the field, significantly contributing to the team's performance.
Both teams scored six points swiftly to start the second, a stark contrast compared to the start of the first. The Knicks' defensive effort was lackluster early in the second, allowing the 905 to score their first three of four field goals in the paint. The Knicks faced a tough challenge in the second quarter as their shooting went cold.
The 905 held them below 40% from the field, showing why they were one of the best teams in the league. Foul trouble plagued Warren as he was called for his third personal late in the second while having a tough shooting night with just four points on 1-of-7 shooting heading into the half. Moments later, Warren received a technical call as the 905 had pushed their lead to as large as 17 after an Evan Gilyard II jumper.
Kennedy Chandler, Omruyi, and Lawson combined for 47 of the 905’s 63 first-half points on 17-of-27 field shooting (63%) to give the 905 a 63-47 lead into the half. The 905 outscored the Knicks 39-23 in the second as they struggled to contain the 905’s hot shooting. The 905's dominance was evident as they shot 66% while the Knicks shot just 39%, with only Chuma Okeke (10) being in double-figures.
Entering this game, the 905 were 7-2 whenever they led after the first half. Could they retain their lead? Or would the Knicks make a miraculous comeback?
The 905 picked up right where they left off. Starting the second half, they scored 10 points in the first two minutes to push their lead back to 20 as the Knicks tried to cut into it. Buie, Warren, and Toppin scored for the Knicks on the next couple of possessions, reducing their deficit to 12 and eventually 10 after two Warren-made free throws.
Careless back-to-back turnovers from the Knicks allowed the 905 to push their lead back to 18 in the blink of an eye with 4:44 to go in the third. Knicks guards Alex O’Connell, Bey, and Warren would hit a trio of threes to cut their deficit back to 9 as the crowd started getting into it. Warren came back with another three moments later to cut the deficit to six, the lowest since early in the second quarter, as the 905 led 87-81 entering the fourth.
The Knicks opened up the fourth, converting off a 905 turnover, with Warren finishing the layup at the other end to make it 87-83. The 905 started to feel the Knicks rally as they seemed to lose their offensive cohesiveness. When everything seemed wrong for the 905, guard Tylor Perry converted on a three to stop the bleeding. The Knicks cut the lead to one with over eight minutes to play. Things started to intensify as the crowd noise was ear-deafening, and you could hear the noise reverberating in the County Center.
Gilyard hit a three to temporarily silence the crowd and push the 905’s lead back to four with 8:06 left to play. It was a back and forth as every time the Knicks seemed close to regaining the lead, the 905 had a response. As the pressure started to intensify, the Knicks were able to tie the game after an Okeke three.
The Knicks got a big stop, causing a turnover before Jordan Tucker splashed a corner three to put them up for the first time since they led 15-13 with 5:09 in the first. Okeke followed with a jumper moments later to increase the Knick's lead to five as they eventually closed it out with a victory as the crowd erupted.
Both teams (905 with 58, Knicks with 42) showed why they’re both top four in points in the paint, combining for 100 points in the interior. The 905 shot just two-tenths (45.2% to 45%) better than the Knicks to fall to 0-4 in the regular season whenever their offense shoots 45-49% from the field.
The Knicks will look to close out February against their in-state rival, the Long Island Nets, on Tuesday at home at 8 p.m. Eastern time before a long trip in March.
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