Raptors fall short vs. Knicks in NBA Cup quarterfinal

The Toronto Raptors are disappointed after a double-digit loss in the NBA Cup against the New York Knicks, resulting in their elimination.

New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson shoots the ball against the Toronto Raptors. | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are staying in the loss column after falling to the New York Knicks 117-101 in the NBA Cup quarterfinals inside Scotiabank Arena.

Early in the game, Brandon Ingram and Jalen Brunson were trading blows, heightening the intensity of the game that already had a lot going in. However, in the second quarter, the Knicks dominated by outscoring the Raptors 34-13.

From there, the Raptors could not catch up as the Knicks cruised to victory en route to their first trip to Las Vegas in the NBA Cup.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes reacts to a call during the second half against the New York Knicks | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Raptors struggle in loss vs. Knicks

Brunson led all scorers for the Knicks with 35 points in the game. He also added four assists and three rebounds. Josh Hart was next on New York's scoring leaderboard with 21 points. Mikal Bridges dropped 15, OG Anunoby added 13 and Jordan Clarkson had 12 off the bench.

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded the team's lone double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds on the glass.

Ingram was the top player for the Raptors with 31 points. Point guard Jamal Shead, who started for an ill Immanuel Quickley, had a career-high 18 points in his first start of the season.

All-Star forward Scottie Barnes and backup shooting guard Ja'Kobe Walter had 13 points apiece while starting centre Jakob Poeltl added 10 points into the mix.

It's a tough loss for the Raptors, who have now lost six of their last seven games after going on a nine-game win streak. They have very clearly missed RJ Barrett, who missed his 9th straight game with a knee sprain.

On top of that, the team is just lacking some confidence and momentum. While they fed off of the energy the crowd was giving them early on in the game, it wasn't enough to sustain 48 minutes of play.

The Raptors can look back on their NBA Cup run positively with four wins in group play and a chance to host a quarterfinal match. That will give them the baseline for what to expect for the rest of the season and future editions of the NBA Cup.

The Raptors will now play against the Miami Heat who lost earlier tonight to the Orlando Magic in their final scheduled game of the regular season. The Raptors will play on Dec. 14 or 15 in hopes of getting back on track against the Heat.