TORONTO — Monday night was emblematic of a major trade nearly a year ago.
RJ Barrett led all scorers. He was on the verge of finishing the revenge game.
But then the Knicks' replacement, OG Anunoby, came up with the game-clinching play, blocking Barrett with 26 seconds left.
The Raptors lost.
The Knicks won 113-108.
Barrett finished with 30 points, but didn't get the most important point, driving to the basket in the final seconds with the Raptors leading by two points, only to be slammed from behind by Anunoby.
Karl-Anthony Towns struggled most of the night, but knocked down the two most important shots. They took the lead with 36 seconds left on a layup off a great feed from Jalen Brunson, then a dagger trey following Anunoby's block on Barrett.
He saved the Knicks (14-9) from a crushing loss to the struggling Raptors (7-18). And that ended a great night for the former Nick.
Barrett is producing at a career-high pace this season, which he said is a result of playing in a faster-paced system with more on-ball opportunities. Barrett revealed ahead of Monday's game that he was excited when the trade happened. He was getting hints from the Knicks that he was no longer in their plans.
“A lot of things [gave me the sense I was going to be traded]. There’s a lot going on,” Barrett said Monday after taking a deep breath. “I feel like I kind of got the vibe. I feel like I got it somehow. I wasn't really surprised when it happened.”
Unspoken, but perhaps the factor was that Barrett went from being the future face of the franchise to a distant third of the totem pole under Julius Randle and especially Brunson. By trading Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for Anunoby, the Knicks gave Brunson the ball and created a lineup that further cemented his stardom.
The deal worked as intended. At least for the Knicks. Anunoby scored 14 points in 41 minutes in his first game back at Scotiabank Arena, proving his worth as a defender who can attack effectively without the ball. Brunson became an All-Star.
“OG was different,” Thibodeau said. “His versatility and size were what we were looking for.”
For the Raptors, the feelings surrounding the one-year anniversary trade are more mixed. On the other hand, the team is in the middle of a rebuild, and there was little use for Anunoby, who likely left in free agency. Meanwhile, the Raptors have not been well since signing, with Quickley out indefinitely with an elbow injury.
The Knicks were coming off their worst home performance of the season, losing 120-111 to the Pistons without an injured Towns. The center returned Monday with 24 points and 15 boards, including a clutch bucket in the final minute.
Brunson added 20 points and 11 assists. Mikal Bridges, who finished with 23 points, made a corner 3-pointer with 1:37 left, giving the Knicks a two-point lead.
The Raptors suffered a blow in the third quarter, when second-leading scorer Scottie Barnes tangled with Towns under the basket and injured his ankle. He was ruled out and could not play the final 19 minutes.
