Thumbnail: Gamba The Bard (@GambatheBard on X)
The New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors to reach the semifinals of the NBA Cup, 117-101. New York’s defense after the first quarter helped control the game.
The game started with both teams on fire, led by their star players. Jalen Brunson and Brandon Ingram had a shootout, with plenty of help from their supporting casts as the Knicks and Raptors scored 74 points in the first quarter.
When Brunson and Ingram sat, the Knicks stayed hot while Toronto cooled off. New York’s defense, led by OG Anunoby and a tremendous effort from Karl-Anthony Towns, took the Raptors’ offense and crowd out of the game. New York led by 17 points at halftime, holding Toronto to 13 points in the second quarter.
Toronto proved scrappy in the second half, refusing to let New York build on its lead for most of the action. But the Knicks’ defense never let Toronto build a meaningful run to get back in the game.
Let’s have a look at a fantastic team performance through the work of the individuals.
