Lin leads Raptors to rout of Knicks

TORONTO — Jeremy Lin scored 20 points, Fred VanVleet had 13 points and 12 assists, and the Toronto Raptors beat the New York Knicks 128-92 on Monday night.

The victory came at a cost to the Raptors, who saw guard Kyle Lowry leave in the third quarter after suffering an injured right ankle. Lowry, who had 15 points and eight assists in 26 minutes, was back in the lineup after missing the previous two games because of a sore left ankle.

New York rookie center Mitchell Robinson collided with Lowry while chasing a loose ball at 5:15 of the third, falling onto Lowry’s legs and taking the All-Star point guard down from behind. Lowry slapped the floor in pain and frustration before being helped to his feet and limping to the locker room.

NUGGETS 114, CELTICS 105

BOSTON — Nikola Jokic had 21 points and 13 rebounds and Denver rallied in the fourth quarter.

Will Barton added 20 points for the Nuggets, who clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2012-13. They have won four straight.

Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 30 points. Al Horford finished with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Both teams came into the night trying to improve their playoff position.

The Nuggets tipped off their four-game road trip just a game behind Western Conference-leading Golden State in the standings.