LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The New York Knicks’ life without injured star Kristaps Porzingis got off to a predictably ugly start on Thursday as they fell 113-88 to the Raptors in Toronto.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Raptors, pacing a balanced attack that saw seven players score in double figures.
Pascal Siakam added 14 points and a career-high six assists off the bench and Serge Ibaka and Jakob Poeltl added 13 points apiece for the Raptors, who notched their fifth straight win over the Knicks at Air Canada Center.
The Knicks were playing their first game since losing All-Star forward Porzingis to a season-ending torn left knee ligament in a loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Michael Beasley, replacing Porzingis in the starting lineup, scored 21 points in the defeat — the Knicks’ fifth straight.
Knicks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. continued to struggle, connecting on just four of 14 shots from the field en route to nine points.
And rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, who has been battling quadriceps tendinitis, had a dismal night, committing five turnovers while scoring just five points in 20 minutes on the floor.
© Agence France-Presse