New York Knicks 145, Toronto Raptors 101: Three Stars From Wednesday's Push Into 3rd

The New York Knicks made quick work of the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, allowing them to move into third place in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Knicks rendered the Toronto Raptors' postseason hopes completely extinct with meteors from above.

New York once again enjoyed a dominant evening from deep as it doomed the Raptors to a 145-101 defeat on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena. It was another wire-to-wire victory for the Knicks (44-28), who sank 22 triples en route to issuing their division rival a 12th consecutive loss.

That tally was good for the second-highest output in single-game franchise history, one partly aided by six alone for Miles McBride in the opening period. It wound up being a near-perfect evening for the Knicks on the Eastern Conference leaderboard: Cleveland's loss to Charlotte allowed the Knicks to move into third place in the East while New York also gained a game on Orlando. Their final offensive output was their highest in a road regulation game since 1970.

Honorable Mentions

• Donte DiVincenzo: 16 points, 5-of-12 3-Pt. FG
• Bojan Bogdanovic: 18 points, 7-of-11 FG, 4-of-5 3 Pt. FG
• Josh Hart: 10 assists, 7 points, 6 rebounds
• Isaiah Hartenstein: 15 points, 5-of-6 FG
• Precious Achiuwa: 14 points, 11 rebounds

3rd Star: Mitchell Robinson

Though burdened by an obvious minutes restriction, Robinson deserves some form of credit for making his way back from an ankle injury that was originally believed to be season-ending. Back on the floor for the first time in 50 games, Robinson earned eight points while showcasing his expected talents wih two blocks.

Mar 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots against Toronto

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

2nd Star: Jalen Brunson

It was another night of relative stat-padding for Brunson, who was regaled with the usual "MVP" chants from a pro-Knicks crowd that made its way across the border. It takes a lot to steal the spotlight from Brunson but three-point breakouts from DiVincenzo and McBride allowed him to earn another dominant night in muted fashion (26 points on 11-of-19 shooting, plus seven assists).

1st Star: Miles McBride

Facing the woebegone Raptors, it was imperative for the Knicks to get off to a good start so as to kill off any hope of ending their lengthy losing streak early on. McBride handled that and then some, tying a franchise record with six three-poiners in the opening period. Chasing down DiVincenzo's mark proved to be a little too much over the remainder of the game, but he did manage to tie his season/career-high with 29 points, a tally primarily built with nine from deep. McBride's outside outburst could once again prove to be a vital weapon come playoff time, especially considering their well-documented woes in last year's tournament.