Takeaways as Raptors Fall Just Short in Loss to Knicks

New York Knicks 113, Toronto Raptors 108

It’s rare that an NBA trade really works out for everyone. Virtually every trade has someone who looks back with regret for either overpaying or being shortsighted in some maneuver they thought was some stroke of genius at the time. And yet, nearly a year after Toronto sent OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn to New York for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, nobody is complaining about the deal.

“I think it was very important for us to have RJ who is a really good scorer, he fits in with his age group as well,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said prior to tipoff Monday night. “I think both of those guys (Barrett and Immanuel Quickley) are a really good fit with our team, they fit in what we’re doing in the court, the strategic long plan, we like our guys.”

Rightfully so.

While Quickley has been sidelined for most of the year, his fit in Toronto has always made sense. He’s the ideal sidekick for Scottie Barnes as a multi-skilled combo guard who is totally comfortable running the offense or playing off the ball as a floor-spacing shooting guard.

The real bonus has been the emergence of Barrett who has exceeded all the expectations Toronto had for him when the organization essentially acquired him as the salary filler in the trade. Against his former team, Barrett looked as if he wanted New York to regret the deal, leading the Raptors with 30 points.

“He’s playing at all star level,” Knicks guard Josh Hart said of Barrett who has thrived in Toronto’s more movement-oriented offensive system.

It was a quintessential Barrett performance as he repeatedly got inside against a Knicks defense that has struggled mightily this season. He got Toronto going 17 points before the break and kept the Raptors ticking after Barnes left injured in the second half.

Barrett’s pressure on the rim late in the fourth quarter forced the Knicks to collapse before a Davion Mitchell three-pointer put Toronto up three. When New York pulled back ahead, Barrett called his own number, driving end-to-end for a contested layup with 40 seconds to go.

“There’s always emotions,” Barrett said of playing his former club. “Some of those people were there from day one, when I got drafted. So definitely, some emotions for sure.”

New York had the last laugh on Monday.

It was an Anunoby block on a late drive from Barrett that saved the Knicks from disaster. Moments later Karl-Anthony Towns connected on a three over Barrett’s outstretched arms and there was nothing Toronto could do.

Anunoby held up his part of the bargain for New York, albeit not quite as offensively explosive as his Raptors counterpart. He finished the night with 14 points, two steals, and three blocks in 41 minutes.

Looking back on it, it’s hard to say either team would walk away from the deal if they had a do-over. New York certainly gave up a lot for Anunoby, but that’s the price for the kind of two-way wing organizations covet these days. For Toronto, the deal looks now like a no-brainer with franchise-altering upside.

Just when the Raptors finally seemed to be getting some consistency, injury struck again Monday night as Barnes twisted his right ankle trying to corral a rebound as he collided with Karl-Anthony Towns in the third quarter. It was an ugly scene as Barnes stayed down writhing in pain before being helped to the locker room, unable to put pressure on his right foot.

Toronto eventually ruled out Barnes who underwent X-rays that came back negative.

Ja’Kobe Walter turned in the best performance of his rookie season Monday night with a 19-point showing against the Knicks. It was the first time this season that Walter really found a groove offensively, connecting on 6 of 12 shooting including a crucial three-pointer he fired out of a catch-and-shoot look after snaking around a screen from Jakob Poeltl.

“He is a good shooter,” Rajaković said. “We believe in his shot. I’m encouraging him to take all of those. Last game, he had three situations where he used a shot fake instead of letting it fly. So that’s something that he needs to continue doing for us and feeling comfortable in his own skin.”

The 20-year-old first-round pick has looked his age often early this year, but Monday’s performance was the kind of game Toronto hopes

The Raptors will hit the road for a quick trip to Miami on Thursday night when they take on the Heat t 7:30 p.m. ET.