Knicks cruise past possible first-round foe Raptors to lock in No. 3 seed

If this is the Knicks’ opponent in the first round of the playoffs, they have to like their chances for an easy series against their personal punching bag. 

And they played like a team that wanted to ensure they get this matchup. 

They breezed past the Raptors 112-95 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, marking another season sweep and their 13th straight win over Toronto — a streak that started in 2023. 

Along with the Celtics’ rout of the Pelicans and Cavaliers’ loss to the Hawks, it locks the Knicks into the No. 3 seed in the East. 

And the Raptors’ loss, coupled with the Hawks’ win over the Cavaliers, means the Raptors fall back down into the No. 6 seed — the seed that the Knicks will face in the first round — and the Hawks rise back up to the No. 5 seed. 

So, the Knicks had a chance to have a big impact on their first-round opponent. And their commanding win — with a little help — means it is most likely they’ll get the most favorable — on paper, at least — matchup. 

There can still be another twist on Sunday, though. The Raptors own the tiebreaker on the Hawks. So if the Raptors beat the Nets and the Hawks lose to the Heat, the two teams would flip-flop again and the Knicks would face the Hawks. 

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The Magic, after beating the Bulls, also still have a long-shot chance to claim the No. 6 seed, though that would require the Raptors to inexplicably lose to the tanking Nets. 

For their own part, it means the Knicks’ regular season finale against the Hornets on Sunday is now meaningless — they can sit their main players and get some extra rest ahead of the postseason. 

So much of the discourse in recent days has surrounded Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns finally finding a rhythm together as the regular season winds down. And both were excellent on Friday. 

Jalen Brunson finished with a game-high 29 points. Towns was particularly impactful early — he scored or assisted the Knicks’ first seven points — and finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds. They carried the scoring load with OG Anunoby missing the entire second half due to a left ankle injury and quiet performances from Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. 

Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet added 10 and eight points, respectively. 

The Raptors were shorthanded, playing without ex-Knicks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. 

The Knicks now own a five-game winning streak, including three in a row over playoff teams after they went a month without beating a team above .500. They have also won 12 of their past 15 games. 

After jumping out to an early 14-3 lead, the Knicks allowed the Raptors to close the first quarter on an 18-8 run and entered the second quarter with just a one-point lead. But the Knicks subsequently opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run. Jose Alvarado, after two straight DNPs, got some rare playing time with Miles McBride (injury management) out and helped spark the run. Alvarado finished with 12 points. 

They took a 15-point lead into halftime and led by double-digits nearly the entire second half. 

Mitchell Robinson’s absence (load management) meant Ariel Hukporti got some rare playing time as well when Towns was on the bench. He recorded eight points. 

This Knicks-Raptors matchup hasn’t been competitive in years. And now, there’s a strong chance we’ll see an entire series of it.