Raptors put an end to the Knicks' 8-game winning streak last night!
Last night, the Toronto Raptors stopped their own and the New York Knicks' streaks. The Raptors snapped the Knicks' eight-game winning streak with a 113-106 victory and ended their own six-game losing skid.
It was a momentous night for the Toronto Raptors and their fans. Dinosaur Nation witnessed the end of a long struggle, with the team able to walk away with a well-deserved victory. Fittingly, they topped off their rivals' eight-game winning streak while putting an end to their own rather dismal six-game losing run.
Too much Spice for the Knicks
Pascal Siakam was the show's star as he scored a career-high 52 points and added nine rebounds and seven assists in 41 minutes of play. Fred VanVleet chipped in 28 points, while OG Anunoby tallied 15.
Pascal dropped 43 in three quarters; Siakam's standout performance last night was a huge indicator of where he sees himself going. Already, it's evident that he has the ability to be one of the top-tier players in the NBA. Being a top 5 player, an ambitious goal, was Pascal's goal coming into the season - and based on what we saw last night, people are going to start talking about him that way.
This victory marks the Raptors' fourth win on the road this season, their first one since November 14th. After their big win over the Knicks, Siakam spoke about how important it was for his team to get a win and start building off it.
R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle both scored 30 points each, with Randle adding 13 rebounds to his total. But in the end, not good enough to top Pascal's performance.
This was a tough battle and an exciting game for the fans to watch. Back and fourth game with both teams playing with force.
Thad Young, Juancho Hernangomez and Malachi Flynn all contributed.
Thad Young and Juancho Hernangomez filled in as the glue guys for both starters and bench players, helping to spread the floor and create spacing. Meanwhile, Malachi Flynn came off the bench to make some crucial plays down the stretch - including a perfectly timed block on Immanuel Quickley in the final minute of play.
Young and Hernangomez were selfless contributors - rarely touching the ball but crashing backboards for offensive rebounds time after time. Flynn was also instrumental, showing confidence from beyond the arc while proving himself as a solid defender against smaller guards.
Raptors must take their momentous energy on the road for an away game in Cleveland on Friday night. With a surge of momentum and composure, they must seize this opportunity to fuel a much-needed winning streak of their own and close 2022 in style with a 3-game home stand.
