Raptors beat Knicks 113-104 as NBA celebrates 75th anniversary
NEW YORK — The Toronto Raptors were midway through a dominant third quarter when Svi Mykhailiuk’s basket gave them the lead for good.
It was 68-66 — the final score of the first NBA game, exactly 75 years earlier.
With a shot clock and 3-pointer in today’s game, the Raptors just kept right on scoring.
Anunoby had a career-high 36 points and the Raptors won their fourth straight by beating the New York Knicks 113-104 on Monday in the 75th anniversary of the NBA’s first game.
Gary Trent Jr. added 26 points for the Raptors, who surged into the lead by outscoring the Knicks 38-22 in the third quarter. Fred VanVleet finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
The Raptors were so good in the third that coach Nick Nurse didn’t make a substitution, something he couldn’t recall happening in his time as their coach.
“Those guys were just on an incredible tied-together roll,” Nurse said.
The Knicks beat the Toronto Huskies on Nov. 1, 1946, at Maple Leaf Gardens. They were in good shape to win this one and continue their strong start to the season, before the Raptors ran right by them.
The Raptors had a 21-3 advantage in fast-break points, turning 17 Knicks turnovers into 20 points. Anunoby pointed to that as a key to the third quarter.
But Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau thought the pivotal point of the game was actually earlier, when the Knicks lost most of a 15-point lead they had with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half.
“It was really the middle of the second quarter. That’s where the game turned,” Thibodeau said.
RJ Barrett scored 27 points for the Knicks, who were trying for their first 6-1 start since 2012-13. Julius Randle had 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists.