Key Takeaways from Knicks Impressive Defensive Showing vs. Raptors

The game lasts 48 minutes. It takes a lot of energy and focus for a team to stay locked in. Especially when on the road in a hostile environment in another country.

Despite this, the New York Knicks put away the resilient Toronto Raptors, 109-94.

With how things unfolded, this may have been one of the Knicks' most impressive wins of the season, and it began on the defensive end. Here are three takeaways from the gritty victory.

Mikal Bridges and O.G Anunoby are real two-way players.

A two-way player, by definition, is someone who excels both offensively and defensively. Arguably, the best two-way player in the league is Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown , who has stated just how hard it is to be effective in the role.

"I'm willing to make sacrifices on either end to get the job done. It takes being in great shape." he said in a video shared by the league.

Bridges and Anunoby must be in that shape, as they affected both ends of the court. With their guard, Jalen Brunson, having an off-scoring night with just 13 points because of the defensive pressure of Scottie Barnes. In the third quarter, Bridges and Anunoby decided to return the favor by slowing down Barnes and Brandon Ingram. This allowed the Knicks to go on a 22-4 run and end the quarter with another 13-0 run, putting them up 82-70.

Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) celebrates after scoring with forward Mikal Bridges (25) in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

In the Eastern Conference, two teams have two other wing players as effective as Bridges and Anunoby on both ends. The Boston Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and the Philadelphia 76ers with Paul George and Kelly Oubre.

Karl-Anthony Towns had a monster rebounding night.

Despite the narratives, on Towns for his lack of physicality. Towns is leading the league in a category that isn’t being talked about, and that's rebounding with 11.4 RPG.

Last night, the finesse big man grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds. Taking advantage of the Raptors' lack of size shows that Towns is capable of being a dominant force, not just a scoring threat.

The most impressive thing to point out was that it came without his fellow big man Mitchell Robinson, who was ruled out due to left ankle injury management.

Jalen Brunson can take a night off

Offensively for the Knicks, it's no secret who is the engine of the team and is responsible for the bulk of the scoring. Brunson is eighth in the NBA in scoring at 28.7 PPG. He was coming off a clutch performance versus the Sacramento Kings on a back-to-back, scoring a game-high 28 points.

Jan 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic watches as New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to make a play during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Against the Raptors, they knew the game plan would be to slow down the strong, crafty guard. That is precisely what happened with Brunson having a quiet night of 13 points and 5-13 from the field.

However, with a team like the Knicks that has offense, defense, versatility, and experience, there shouldn’t be any reason they cannot get wins, unless it's Brunson's scoring ability.

Knicks' most impressive win of the streak

The Knicks have been looking to find their rhythm after a bad start to January. They are now on a five-game winning streak, beating a team like the Raptors, who came into the game with a 29-18 record. This was not a small task. The Knicks are back as the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference and will look to keep their momentum going.

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