NEW YORK, NY — The New York Knicks overcame a late deficit to defeat the Toronto Raptors 105-100 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson led the way with 33 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 points and 8 rebounds as the Knicks protected home court and grabbed a 1-0 lead in the series.
The game appeared to be slipping away from New York midway through the fourth quarter. After Brandon Ingramknocked down a jumper with 4:56 remaining to trim the Knicks’ lead to 90-88, Toronto followed with a 6-0 run to move ahead 94-90 with 3:32 left.
The Knicks responded immediately.
OG Anunoby scored on a layup before Brunson took over, converting a layup and then drilling a three-pointer to put New York back in front 99-96 with just over two minutes to play.
Toronto stayed within striking distance, pulling to within 101-100 on another Ingram layup with 18 seconds remaining. But forced to foul, the Raptors watched Brunson calmly sink four consecutive free throws to secure the victory.
Scottie Barnes paced Toronto with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Ingram added 19 points and 5 rebounds, while Collin Murray-Boyles contributed 12 points and 9 rebounds.
The contest was tightly contested throughout. New York held a narrow 28-27 lead after the first quarter and carried a 53-47 advantage into halftime. Toronto won the third quarter 27-24 but still trailed 77-74 entering the final period.
The Raptors eventually erased the deficit and briefly grabbed control in the fourth, but New York answered every challenge down the stretch to take the opener.
The Knicks now hold a 1-0 series lead as they look to protect home court again in Game 2.
