By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Karl Anthony-Towns made the biggest plays in the most crucial stretch of the game and led the New York Knicks to a hard-earned 113-108 victory over the Toronto Raptors in the ongoing NBA regular season on December 10, 2024.
The stretch big man returned from a one-game absence and immediately made his impact felt after breaking the Raptors’ hearts with five straight points in the final 36 seconds of the game.
With the game knotted at 108-all, Jalen Brunson dished a sweet swivel pass to Towns who converted the bucket in the shaded lane that gave the Knicks a 110-108 advantage.
After New York completed a defensive stop when OG Anunoby blocked RJ Barrett’s potential game-tying deuce, Towns silenced the loud Toronto crowd with the biggest three-pointer of the game with only eight seconds left in regulation.
Towns’ five consecutive markers put New York in a comfortable position, en route to a bounce-back victory after suffering a disappointing loss at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.
The newly-acquired star center from the Minnesota Timberwolves iced the matchup with 24 big points, 15 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and two steals.
Towns shot an efficient 7/13 trip in his field goals including eight converted free throws and two drained three-pointers.
The Raptors provided a huge scare when they clawed their way back from a 15-point deficit even without the presence of their superstar forward Scottie Barnes who exited the game early in the third due to an injured ankle.
Without Barnes, Barrett handled the offensive load for Toronto and single-handedly kept them in the game, even helping them take a brief cushion in the final three minutes of the ball game.
However, the trio of Towns, Brunson, and Mikal Bridges delivered in the clutch and spoiled Toronto of defending their home-court advantage.
Bridges backstopped Towns with 23 markers derived from an efficient 9/14 shooting from the field alongside three rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Meanwhile, Brunson tallied another double-double performance after chipping in 20 points, 11 dimes, and four boards.
On the other hand, Barrett led all scorers in the game with 30 points, eight rebounds, four dimes, and a steal, while Barnes added 15 markers, five boards, and three dimes, before exiting the game with an ankle injury.
