Siakam Scores Career High 23 Points, Carries Raptors Over Knicks
TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 23 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 10 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors beat the New York Knicks 128-112 on Saturday, improving their league-leading record to 12-1.
OG Anunoby scored 16 points and Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka and Delon Wright each had 12 as the Raptors won their sixth straight home meeting with the Knicks and improved to 7-0 at home this season. Toronto has won six straight overall.
Toronto's Nick Nurse became the first coach to win 12 of his first 13 games since Lawrence Frank started 13-0 with the New Jersey Nets in 2004.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 27 points and Enes Kanter had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost 16 of their past 19 against the Raptors.
Siakam shot 6 for 7, including a career-best three 3-pointers, and went 8 for 9 at the free-throw line.
Siakam's outburst made up for a quiet night from Leonard, who didn't make his first basket until a layup with 45 seconds to go in the first half. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year shot 2 for 7, missing both of his 3-point attempts, and failed to scored 20 or more points for the second time in nine games with Toronto. Leonard had 19 points in a Nov. 2 win at Phoenix.
After missing all six of his field-goal attempts in Wednesday's win at Atlanta, Knicks rookie Kevin Knox shot 4 for 11 and finished with 12 points.
Toronto led 64-53 at halftime, but New York shaved the gap to three points with a 12-4 run to start the second half. The Knicks closed to within one before the Raptors recovered, outscoring the visitors 30-13 over the final 8:51 of the third to take a 100-82 lead.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York missed 10 of its first 11 shots from 3-point range and finished 6 for 22 from outside the arc. ... The Knicks have not won in Toronto in exactly three years. They beat the Raptors 111-109 on Nov. 10, 2015.
Raptors: Toronto stated 0 for 6 from the field and turned the ball over on three of its first five possessions. The Raptors had six turnovers in the first. ... Danny Green reached 1,000 3-pointers for his career with his third 3 of the game in the third quarter. ... Kyle Lowry led Toronto with seven assists. ... Leonard went 8 for 10 at the free-throw line.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Orlando on Sunday night.
Raptors: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
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