All aboard the Knicks Express. The train just keeps rolling at Penn Station.
The Knicks picked up their 14th win in the last 18 games with a dominant wire-to-wire 139-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, extending their winning streak to four games.
With Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs set to visit Madison Square Garden for a Christmas Day matinee, the Knicks now have a shot at their longest win streak of the season.
They should be well-rested. The starters essentially got a half-day, with the game all but decided midway through the second quarter.
The Raptors attempted to neutralize Jalen Brunson, but the Knicks’ All-Star guard adjusted seamlessly, facilitating for his teammates instead of forcing the issue. Despite scoring just 12 points—tying his lowest output since a seven-point performance against the Clippers in Nov. 2023—Brunson’s selflessness unlocked the Knicks’ offense, even if he only scored one point in the opening period.
“He’s one of the best point guards in the world, so for us as a young team to come over here and learn against that type of player, it’s amazing,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković said before the game, reflecting on Brunson’s previous 20-point, 11-assist outing in Toronto. “He’s such a smart player. He’s really trying to make the right play for the team.”
That unselfishness paid off.
Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby led the way with 31 points each, while Cameron Payne added a season-high 19 points off the bench, fueled by a barrage of three-pointers in the second quarter.
The Knicks held a slim 30-28 lead after the first quarter and found themselves tied 32-32 early in the second.
Then they hit the gas.
A 16-2 run, spearheaded by Payne’s 11 points in the period, broke the game open. The Knicks outscored the Raptors 40-24 in the second quarter and 31-18 in the third, building a commanding 29-point lead heading into the final period.
The Raptors never recovered.
Yet the game held more significance for sentimental reasons given the mammoth trade intertwining the two teams’ futures.
Fans outside the visitor’s tunnel greeted former Knicks first-round pick R.J. Barrett with cheers and even a playful nickname—“Star-J”—as he took the floor at MSG for the second time as a Raptor. Barrett delivered a strong performance, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists on 7-of-13 shooting, but watched a large chunk of the fourth quarter from the bench.
“More expanded role. There were a bunch of games where he was our starting point guard when Scottie Barnes was out,” Rajakovic said ahead of tipoff. “When [Immanuel] Quickley did not play, we gave the ball to him, and that really expands his game. He’s learning a lot. He’s learning how to deal with that, how to play-make. I think he already had two or three games with triple-doubles this year. He’s improving his rebounding. There is obvious growth there as well. Now it’s for him and everyone else to start putting all those things together.”
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Barrett’s development post-trade.
“He’s a terrific person, so it doesn’t surprise me, just the way he’s worked his entire career. If you’ve followed his progress from Duke to the pros, each year he’s gotten a lot better. And he’s excelled in Toronto,” he said. “He’s doing a number of things really well. He continues to get better and better, and that’s not surprising at all. So the play-making, shooting the ball, just playing an all around game — he’s done a really good job.”
Immanuel Quickley, also included in the trade that sent Anunoby to the Knicks, missed Monday’s game as he continues to recover from an elbow injury. Despite appearing in only three games this season, Quickley’s potential remains central to the Raptors’ long-term plans. The team signed him to a five-year, $175 million extension.
“I think he’s a great fit for us. Obviously his three-point shooting and ability to shoot on the dribble on the move and his scorer’s mentality is really, really good,” said Rajakovic. “And at the same time I think he is really underestimated as a playmaker. He is an unselfish player in my time in the NBA over the past 10 plus years, he probably is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. He really puts a lot of work in. He’s very intentional about his work. He wants to be great, and I think he’s a great fit for us.”
Seven of the Knicks’ eight rotation players scored in double figures. Precious Achiuwa made an impact against his former team with five points, seven rebounds, and contributions across the defensive stat sheet.
Newly re-signed Landry Shamet, who joined the Knicks on Sunday, checked into the game with 90 seconds left in the fourth quarter and made a three for his first regular-season points in orange and blue.
They will need him, maybe not for Wednesday’s matchup against Wembanyama’s Spurs, but for the deep playoff run they are positioning themselves for with every win racked this season.