The Knicks ended the Raptors' four-game win streak, and Ingram told the media what went wrong.
Brandon Ingram and the Toronto Raptors lost their four-game win streak in a 119-92 defeat to the New York Knicks. After being tied with New York for the third seed in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors fall to fourth, and now have a record of 0-6 against teams above them in the standings. Toronto is 0-3 against both New York and the Boston Celtics, with one game left against each and three against the Detroit Pistons.
While they have achieved against most in the NBA, the Raptors continue to fall short against the league’s best. Their record against teams with a .600 or higher win percentage is now just 1-11.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) | © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The All-Stars for Toronto did what they could to limit New York’s All-Stars, but it was the role players that shone for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were held to a combined 21 points on 8-for-24 shooting, but Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart combined for 78 points on 30-for-44 shooting. Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes added 44 points on 16-for-29 shooting, while RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley contributed just 21 points on 6-for-22 shooting.
Postgame, Ingram talked with the media about the loss and what needs to change moving forward.
“We just got to put together 48 minutes,” said Ingram. We know that, especially against great teams like the New York Knicks. We definitely thought the game got away from us. We let one slip away … That wasn’t the image of how good our defense has been over the years. We’ll be better.”
On the surface, the defense was just as stellar as usual when looking at Brunson and Towns. They were heavily contested when the ball was in their hands, but once the ball started to move, the Raptors’ defense became lazy and unfocused against the other starters. Not to mention, Toronto got killed on the glass when Towns was in the game; he ended with 22 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end.
Looking at the competitiveness of the matchup, it was a battle all the way until the end of the third quarter, when Bridges went on an 11-0 run on his own. This inevitably deflated the Raptors defensively and only led to more open looks for other players in the fourth quarter.
New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) | © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
More often than not, in a game with multiple All-Stars on both teams, it is the role players who often play a pivotal part in deciding the winner. The big-time players are going to do what they do, but how well can the other starters or key bench players make their impact felt in crucial moments, especially when the stars are off the court?
This reason alone is a great indicator of why Barrett and Quickley are often in trade talks; they have yet to prove in games against high-level opponents that they can play pivotal parts in impacting winning. The NBA trade deadline is just six days away, and if they remain with the franchise for the rest of the season, they need to prove their worth when it matters most.