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Knicks Beat Raptors 122-120 in Preseason Finale at the Garden

Jalen Brunson scored 20 and Karl-Anthony Towns fell one assist short of a triple-double as New York held off Toronto. In Houston, the Rockets routed Oklahoma City 116-89.

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Knicks Beat Raptors 122-120 in Preseason Finale at the Garden
Photo: Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Madison_Square_Garden_(MSG)_-_Full_(48124330357).jpg)

Key points

  • NEW YORK.
  • Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 20 points and seven assists.
  • Brown pointed to the third quarter as the version of his team he wants to see.

NEW YORK. The defending champion New York Knicks closed their preseason on Thursday night with a 122-120 win over the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. The game was a dress rehearsal, and coach Mike Brown treated it that way. He ran an 11-man rotation through three quarters, gave his starters long minutes, and liked the ball movement more than the score. New York recorded 35 assists on 43 made field goals.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 20 points and seven assists. Karl-Anthony Towns finished one assist short of a triple-double, with 13 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Mikal Bridges added 14 points. Andre Drummond added 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists in just over 15 minutes off the bench, and the two centers combined for 13 assists.

Brown pointed to the third quarter as the version of his team he wants to see. New York held Toronto to 21 points in that quarter, its best defensive stretch of the night, after the Raptors had scored freely in the first half. The Knicks also moved the ball the way their coach asked all month, which matters more to a champion tuning up than a two-point preseason win.

Toronto pushed the finish

Scottie Barnes scored 23 points for Toronto, a game high. Former Knicks RJ Barrett scored 21 and Immanuel Quickley scored 18 against their old team. Rookie Jaden Bradley, a 2026 second-round pick, tied the game at 117 late with a field goal and a free throw after a foul. Tyler Kolek answered with a three, and two free throws from Tyler Nickel closed it out.

New York led 63-58 at halftime and 87-79 after three quarters. Toronto won the fourth quarter 41-35 and still fell two points short.

Rockets rout Thunder in Houston

In Houston, the Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-89 at Toyota Center. Houston opened with a 33-15 first quarter. Oklahoma City won the second quarter 32-21 to cut into the lead, then Houston pulled away again, closing the game with a 37-20 fourth quarter.

What it means

Preseason finals settle rotations, not standings, and both home teams got what they needed. The Knicks open their title defence at home on Tuesday, October 20, against the Philadelphia 76ers. Toronto and Houston also turn to the regular season next week, with their rotations now set by these final run-outs.

Sources