The Raptors had huge leads most of the game including a 51-34 lead at half thanks to a 29-11 second quarter and 56-40 lead in third quarter and the Knicks fought back with a 16-3 run to cut it to 3 points but the Raptors went into the fourth quarter on a 8-2 to take a 67-58 lead. In the fourth quarter the Knicks went on a 7-2 run to make it 69-65 and it went back and forth including the Knicks getting within 3 with just over half a quarter left and Butler came up with a clutch 3-ball shot to make it 77-71 in a game where he hit clutch shots with all 13 of his points being clutch and it was nice to see what he was brought in for.
The game down to the Raptors with the ball up 86-85 with 17.7 seconds left and Andrea Bargnani missed a jumper but was fouled by Landary Fields and Andrea hit 20th and 21st point in the game as he went two for two from the line. So with 17.7 seconds left the Knicks came out of a timeout and the ball was in Carmelo's hands as he had 13 points in the fourth quarter and because Tony Douglas did not know where he was supposed to be Carmelo threw up another three-ball with 13.2 seconds which was the 34 three-ball of the game for the Knicks and he missed it and Anthony Carter got the board and went 2 for 2 from the line and the Raptors won 90-85 but not before Landary Douglas hoisted the Knicks three-pointer of the game. So the Knicks who took 78 shots from the floor and 35.9% took 35 from three and hit 10 (28.6%) and they were lead by Carmelo Anthony who had 35 of the Knicks' 85 points but the Knicks who were averaging 32 free throws a game ended up going 19-25 and the Raptors took more free throws 29 and made 23.
The Raptors shoot better (44.1) and took half the threes that the knicks did and made 7 and shoot better from three (41.2%) along with on the glass (44-39) lead by Butler and Jamaal Magloire who had 10 boards each in the game and moved the ball more (21-14 in assists) with Jose Calderon of had 12 assists to go with his 9 points in the game. DeMar DeRozan had 16 points in the first half and got into same foul trouble in the third quarter and ended up with 21 points at the end while Bargnani had 12 of his 21 in the first half.
The Raptors ended their three game road trip in four nights 1 and 2 playing hard all three games and are headed home to play the Cavs on Wednesday and the Nets on Friday before going back on the road where they have now won two road games already this season while only winning 6 on the road all last season.
Defense wins games and the Raptors play great defense the first three quarters of games and will win games with their defense
Tom Mehegan
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