Subtle flaw threatens to turn Raptors' hopeful playoff run into an uphill battle

"Brandon Ingram finished with a game-high and team-high 31 points, along with four assists, two rebounds, one steal, and one block. 26 of those points came in just the first half, and it was the first quarter when BI exploded for 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting."

"While these starters' underwhelming performances were certainly a disservice, what really stood out going into this Knicks game was the battle of bench production for both teams. The Knicks ran a tight nine-man rotation, and so did the Raptors."

"It looked like a nail-biter at one point in the fourth, with the game within a two-point reach for Toronto, but New York rallied and pulled away for a comfortable 111-95 victory."

Toronto suffered a franchise-worst 12th consecutive loss to New York, falling 111-95 despite Brandon Ingram's game-high 31 points, including 26 in the first half. The Raptors trailed by just two points in the fourth quarter before the Knicks pulled away. While Ingram's offensive explosion couldn't carry the team, other starters underperformed: Immanuel Quickley shot 4-for-14 with 13 points, Scottie Barnes attempted only nine field goals for 14 points, and RJ Barrett contributed nine fourth-quarter points. The decisive factor was bench production, where New York's nine-man rotation featuring Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Jose Alvarado outperformed Toronto's reserves, who were without Collin Murray-Boyles.

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