 | Knicks | 105 | Final Box Score | 120 | Raptors |  |
 A | P. Siakam35 MIN, 20 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 7-15 FG, 0-1 3FG, 6-9 FT, 0 BLK, 6 TO, +14 +/- For a game like this he’s insurance. You don’t need him but you can call on him if you find yourself longing for some points, or playmaymaking or anything that’s in short supply. Slithered his way to get some scores in transition, but on an afternoon where Fred was on fire, preferred to playmake. My favorite bit was the loooong lob to OG in the block who had sealed off his man, which ultimately led to a Boucher score. | |
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 A- | O. Anunoby30 MIN, 14 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL, 4-11 FG, 1-5 3FG, 5-5 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, +11 +/- Physically overwhelmed RJ Barrett to start the game which is a big reason the latter had an inconsequential game. Loved how he was looking for his own shot early in the clock as part of the starting lineup instead of deferring. On an afternoon where the Knicks were short handed, there wasn’t too much required so he eased off, but even then managed to pick off a few errant expeditions in the passing lanes. | |
 A- | S. Barnes30 MIN, 13 PTS, 4 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 4-9 FG, 2-5 3FG, 3-4 FT, 1 BLK, 4 TO, +19 +/- Solid game where he picked his spots, and one of those spots was in the third quarter when he hit two consecutive threes to create the distance the pesky Knicks couldn’t overcome. Made a couple careless passes in transition in the first, but the play that stood out for me was the mid-air improvisation he made on a weak side cut as the defense collapsed (clip below). | |
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 A+ | F. VanVleet31 MIN, 35 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 11-17 FG, 7-13 3FG, 6-6 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, +16 +/- Flamethrower coming off the screens which included 17 in the third. Could do whatever he wanted on the floor, whenever he wanted. The timing of his screen usage is impeccable and his teammates know when he’s about to zig so they can zag. Defensively, he’s just looking to attack at every opportunity. If there was a “in the zone” for defense, he’d be in it all the time. The big guns returning also make his offensive duties much easier as traps are much harder to come by when OG and Pascal are terrorizing their individual matchups. | |
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 F | G. Trent Jr.20 MIN, 5 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 2-7 FG, 1-3 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, +11 +/- He actually took it to the rim in a half-court set looking for contact. He didn’t get it, nor did he finish, but we’ll call it progress. Had 5 fouls in 14 minutes, and fouled out in 20. When he was able to nestle into his sweet spots, the shot just wasn’t falling. Defensively he was good against Fournier but a look of frustration from his shot not falling was ever present on his countenance. | |
 B | C. Boucher21 MIN, 12 PTS, 4 REB, 0 AST, 2 STL, 4-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 4-4 FT, 2 BLK, 0 TO, +17 +/- His made FGs were fed to him which is sort of how it should be for him. Ran the floor, competed on the glass against a depleted Knicks frontline, and didn’t do anything that would end up on Shaqtin’ a Fool. His good run continues. | |
 B- | P. Achiuwa18 MIN, 2 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 1-5 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 3 TO, +4 +/- Has been gradually easing back into the shape of things, and this was definitely a low-key but effective outing. Combined well with Chris Boucher, and hit the offensive glass. The finishing in the paint against defense needs to improve. He needs to add a pump-fake or a shoulder-fake, or just any fake. Had a nice block though: | |
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 B | Y. Watanabe10 MIN, 4 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 1-3 FG, 1-2 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -8 +/- Switched on every screen, buckled down on defense looking to strip the ball, annoyed everyone with his aggressiveness and invariably found himself at the FT line after getting fouled hard. | |
 Inc | J. Champagnie5 MIN, 5 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -6 +/- Garbage time participant. On the bright side most people get his name right now. | |
 B- | K. Birch19 MIN, 6 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 3-3 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, +5 +/- Stiff hands to start the game where he bumbled a couple interior passes, and then mistimed and mispositioned himself to concede a couple offensive boards. His screen-setting was his best contribution in this game, especially as it opened up Fred for his threes. | |
 Inc | D. Oturu2 MIN, 2 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 1-2 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -1 +/- This guy still around eh? | |
 Inc | M. Flynn5 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -6 +/- It’s gonna be hard to see him get meaningful PT. The 0-2 on quick triggers didn’t help. | |
 Inc | D. Banton5 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-2 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -6 +/- Still living off the good things he did in the first 10 games of the season. | |
 C+ | S. Mykhailiuk10 MIN, 2 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 1-1 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, +5 +/- Nick Nurse’s favorite hamster was brought into, I’m guessing, respond to Alec Burks and his little burst in the first half. The Knicks were doubling a lot so I figured Nurse wanted to add some three-point shooting to the floor. Turns out it wasn’t needed as the Raptors defense generated enough turnovers to throw off the Knicks’ little run. | |
 A | Nick Nurse Good to see him on the other side of a bench hit hard by Covid protocols. I like the emphasis on OG asserting himself early. Didn’t see Scottie handle the ball much, but given OG and Siakam now being healthy this could be the norm. Would have loved to see Scottie play some garbage time with the likes of Banton/Flynn etc. | |
Things We Saw
- This Knicks kept getting almost blown out but for their double-teams in the first half against a Raptors team that hasn’t played together much, so there was some adjusting required.
- The Raptors forced 8 turnovers in the early stages of this game to completely deflate the Knicks who were not able to get any sort of offensive rhythm at any point in this game.
- Knicks were missing Rose, Randle and Robinson, while the Raptors were full strength, so this was an outcome to be expected.
