Pascal Siakam simply would not be denied. And as a result, Toronto’s six-game losing streak is history.
The Raptors beat the New York Knicks 113-106 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday thanks to 52 points from Siakam, two off the franchise record set by Fred VanVleet.
The All-NBA forward was nothing short of spectacular, going on personal scoring runs of 17 straight Raptors points (to end the third quarter) and 10 straight (in the second quarter) before erupting in a tight fourth quarter to seal the deal.
Siakam added seven assists — none bigger than the helper that set VanVleet up for the three-point dagger that ended New York’s chances — and Toronto pulled off its first road win since Nov. 13.
VanVleet added 28 and the Raptors shot 20-for-22 at the free throw line.
Prevailing against a Knicks team that had been rolling made the victory even more sweet for the Raptors.
Toronto came in riding its longest losing streak of the Masai Ujiri era other than the lost season in Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, the Knicks had won eight in a row, the top active streak in the NBA and the second-best run by the franchise in a decade.
New York sat 11th in the Eastern Conference when the streak began earlier this month, Toronto eighth but they’d gone in different directions since then.
Both teams were playing for something. New York has missed the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons and is eager to prove this is the year something goes right for them. In the midst of a challenging part of the schedule, the visitors came in desperate to enjoy a victory for the first time in a while.
And Siakam made sure that happened. He started off cooking from the mid-range, then started attack various Knicks defenders at every turn. And he had an able sidekick in VanVleet, who loves playing at the prestigious arena. VanVleet had averaged 20 points, 9.3 assists and 44% shooting on three-point attempts in his previous three appearances there. That included 28 assists and just one turnover heading in.
Canadian RJ Barrett and Julius Randle led New York with 30 points each.
Led primarily by Siakam and VanVleet, the Raptors did well to build a 63-53 lead in the first half. But it all came undone when New York responded — likely after some terse words from head coach Tom Thibodeau — with a 12-3 run to open the third quarter. This team had seen that movie before in losing some close recent games, but Siakam wasn’t willing to allow it to happen again. He dropped bucket after bucket to close the third.
The Raptors held the fort a bit to hold the lead to start the fourth with Siakam getting some well-deserved rest. The all-star big man went right back to work upon his return, but the Knicks would not go away in the thrilling contest.
Toronto was without regulars Gary Trent Jr. and Khem Birch, and long-time absentees Precious Achiuwa and Otto Porter while Knicks solid two-way guard Quentin Grimes, a gametime decision, did not play.
Siakam tied DeMar DeRozan with his 52-point effort but ran out of time to catch VanVleet. Vince Carter and Terrence Ross, with 51 apiece, are the only other Raptors to top 50 in a game.
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