Knicks Reserves Crushed by Raptors in Preseason Blowout

The New York Knicks' reserves were soundly defeated by the Toronto Raptors, 148-98, in a preseason matchup on Tuesday night. Starters, along with veteran reserves Landry Shamet, Andre Drummond, and Jordan Clarkson, did not play in the game, which was the second leg of a back-to-back for the Knicks.

Coach Mike Brown emphasized that preseason results are secondary to the team's process and development. However, the performance of the young Knicks squad against a Raptors team that included its regular starters and Kawhi Leonard was particularly one-sided. The Knicks reserves were outmatched, trailing by 20 points after the first quarter and seeing the deficit expand to 38 by halftime. The struggles continued in the second half, with the Raptors eventually winning by a margin of 50 points.

"It’s not necessarily what’s on the scoreboard at that particular time," Brown said after the game. "It’s are you doing the right things to be better and/or get better? And in the first half, what I was most disappointed in was we weren’t putting bodies on bodies. Fifteen second-chance points in one half is not good. Thirty fast-break points in one half is not good."

Brown further elaborated on his disappointment with the team's execution, noting, "And then the way they sped us up, and us not necessarily touching the paint and trying to spray it and/or making quick decisions is not good. So that’s what I was most disappointed in in the first half. I really didn’t care about the score, especially with the group we had on the floor."

Players who saw action for the Knicks included Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride, Mohamed Diawara, Bruce Brown, and James Wiseman as starters. Other Knicks players who participated were Drew Eubanks, Tyler Nickel, Pacôme Dadiet, Tony Bradley, Ochai Agbaji, Kevin McCullar Jr., Tyler Kolek, and Jaden Akins. McBride acknowledged the team's desire for a better outcome but reiterated the importance of learning from the experience.

"You never want to lose in that way," McBride stated. "But at the same time, we just gotta move on. Preseason is for those reasons. Missing eight of our guys, you just want to come out there and have a positive mindset. Go out there and play hard. There were things we could’ve definitely done better, but they’re a playoff team and you add a Hall of Famer with them."

The Raptors were led by Leonard with 21 points in 16 minutes. Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles each contributed 19 points, while RJ Barrett added 17. The Raptors shot 57.3 percent from the field as a team in the game.

Mikal Bridges, another of the Knicks' starters, traveled with the team and participated in a pregame workout, though he did not play. The Knicks finished the preseason with a 0-4 record.