Raptors fall just short in New York, lose 122–120 to Knicks in preseason
October 15, 2026 | Madison Square Garden | NBA Preseason
The Toronto Raptors lost a narrow 122–120 loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Toronto mounted several comeback attempts but could not quite overcome New York in a competitive matchup featuring both teams’ regular rotation players
Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 23 points, while Canadian forward RJ Barrett added 21.
The result came two days after the Raptors demolished New York 148–98 in Toronto, when the Knicks rested their starters.
Game Summary
First half — Knicks establish the challenge
New York’s starters made the rematch significantly more difficult for Toronto.
Jalen Brunson directed the Knicks’ offence, while Karl-Anthony Towns provided rebounding and playmaking from the frontcourt.
Toronto remained competitive behind Barnes and Barrett, with the Raptors using their size and offensive versatility to stay within striking distance.
The Knicks carried their advantage into halftime, setting up a tense second half.
Third quarter — Toronto fights back
The Raptors continued to attack offensively, with Barnes and Barrett leading the charge.
Toronto found ways to create scoring opportunities against New York’s first unit and stayed close enough to make the final quarter meaningful.
Fourth quarter — Knicks hold on
Toronto kept pushing and made the finish uncomfortable for the home team, but New York did enough down the stretch to preserve its two-point advantage.
Brunson’s scoring leadership and the Knicks’ contributions from Mikal Bridges and Andre Drummond proved important in the victory.
Toronto’s late push came up just short, leaving the Raptors with a narrow defeat in their preseason outing.
One notable development was Kawhi Leonard’s limited night.
The Raptors’ major offseason addition finished with six points on 2-of-5 shooting in 22 minutes, leaving the game with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter and not returning.
Raptors’ Top Performers
Scottie Barnes — 23 points
Toronto’s leading scorer delivered the team’s strongest individual scoring performance and helped keep the Raptors in contention throughout the game.
RJ Barrett — 21 points
The Canadian forward provided another productive offensive performance against his former team, giving Toronto a second major scoring option.
Kawhi Leonard — 6 points
Leonard had a quieter outing after his impressive 21-point preseason debut on Tuesday.
His early departure from the game limited his opportunity to build on that performance.
Knicks Standouts
Jalen Brunson: Led New York with 20 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns: Recorded 13 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
Mikal Bridges: Added 14 points.
Andre Drummond: Contributed 14 points off the bench
Three Key Takeaways
Barnes and Barrett provide the scoring foundation.
Their combined 44 points demonstrated Toronto’s ability to generate offence against a stronger defensive lineup.
Leonard’s availability bears watching.
His early exit limited his workload, although the available game report does not establish that he suffered an injury.
Toronto faces a different test against starting lineups.
The 50-point win on Tuesday showed the Raptors’ potential, but Thursday’s close contest offered a more useful look at how the team matches up against established starters.
Final Verdict
The Raptors finish this preseason game with a disappointing two-point loss, but there were positives to take away.
Barnes and Barrett led the offence, and Toronto remained competitive against a Knicks team playing its regular rotation.
The next priority is translating those encouraging stretches into consistent execution over four quarters as the regular season approaches.
