Raptors ripped in third quarter on way to loss

NEW YORK — An eight-minute stretch of the third quarter was all the Knicks needed to turn a double-digit deficit into an insurmountable lead.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a career-high 38 points, including 12 during a 28-0 run in the third that sent New York to a 108-100 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

Kristaps Porzingis added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who outscored the Raptors 41-10 in the decisive period.

“At halftime we had some strong words for each other, we talked about stuff we wanted to do better and we came out in the second half looking like a different team,” Porzingis said.

Kyle Lowry scored 25 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 for the Raptors, who had their fourgame winning streak snapped.

The Raptors shot 0-for-13 from the field during that stretch, which began with Enes Kanter’s layup with 10:28 left and didn’t end until CJ Miles hit a 3-pointer with 2:23 remaining.

“They came out and overcame our energy, lack of energy, with their energy, and just put us on our heels,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “We couldn’t make a shot, short-arming it, missed a couple of layups. They’re coming out, scored what, five straight baskets, and again, you let a team like that get momentum as hard as they’re playing, you put yourself in a hole.” Six unanswered goals Tuesday night. A five-goal uninterrupted outburst in the rematch Wednesday at CN Centre.

By the time they were done the Medicine Hat Tigers left no doubt they rule the Cats’ den in the Western Hockey League jungle.

Coming on the heels of their colossal collapse in a 7-4 loss to the Central Division leaders the previous night the Cougars’ greatest fears were realized.

Their early lead wilted when the Tigers took the lead late in the opening period and the visitors scored three more in the first 3:28 of the second period on the way to a 7-3 victory in front of an announced crowd of 2,443.

James Hamblin potted a rebound to put the Tigers ahead 16.7 seconds before the break. The onslaught continued 1:45 into the next period when the puck got caught up in the skates of Cougars defenceman Cole Moberg, springing Gary Haden inside the zone and he made a perfect pass to Max Gerlach.

Then at 2:13, Hamblin scored his second of the game on an unassisted effort, going wide to his backhand side to fool goalie Taylor Gauthier. New York Islanders prospect David Quenneville made it a 5-1 count with a big-league one-timer set up by Mark Rassell.

That spelled the end of the night for Gauthier, replaced by Isaiah DiLaura after allowing five goals on 19 shots.

The win solidified the Tigers’ grip on first place in the Central Division as they improved to 15-7-0-0. The Cougars (9-11-2-2) remain fourth in the B.C. Division.

The Cougars had their moments of brilliance but their lack of consistency, a pattern that’s dogged them lately, proved their downfall. They started the game with a flurry of activity around the Tigers’ net. Jared Bethune had four quality shots on goalie Michael Bullion before the six-minute mark and Brogan O’Brien finally cashed in on a perfect cross-ice feed from Kody McDonald to open the scoring at 7:40.

That combination connected to stem the bleeding a little bit, 11:07 into the second period and O’Brien sprung the puck free in front for McDonald who had an open net to