Jose Calderon (sore right groin), Kristaps Porzingis (upper respiratory illness) and Carmelo Anthony (sore left knee) didn't play in Thursday night's matchup against the Toronto Raptors. The New York Knicks were 0-5 without Carmelo in the lineup coming into the game. 

With Langston Galloway, Lance Thomas and Kyle O'Quinn starting in their places, the Knicks did all they could to avoid a four-game losing streak, but were unable to overcome the Raptors fire power. They are now 0-6 with Melo out of the lineup and dropped to a 22-26 record on the season.

Short-Handed Knicks Fall Behind

Throughout the first half, the Knicks looked overmatched but would still hang around and keep the game within striking distance. Both teams traded baskets early in the game, until the Raptors jumped out to a 27-21 lead at the end of the first quarter of play. In the second quarter, Toronto led by as many as 14 points but would miss their last 11 shots of the quarter keeping the Knicks in the game trailing by 10 at halftime. 

New York Would Make A Push But Toronto Too Much To Handle

The third quarter was a surprise as New York would pick up their intensity, cutting the Raptor lead to just one with a little more than six minutes left in the period. However, another Toronto run would push the lead back to ten at the end of the quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks were unable to withstand Kyle Lowry and the Raptors fire power as they led by 12 with six minutes left in the game, and would go on to defeat the Knicks by a score of 103-93. With the Knicks missing three of their five starters, this was just too big of a task to overcome and end their losing streak.  

Toronto's High Powered Offense

Kyle Lowry had a big time performance finishing the game with 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, 10 assists and six rebounds. Lowry has been a major threat to opposing teams. In his last three games, Lowry has accumulated a combined 76 points and 20 assists, which has been a big key to the Raptors' offensive gameplan. 

DeMar DeRozan also had an impressive game scoring the ball, finishing with 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting and four assists. Jonas Valanciunas struggled shooting the ball (4-of-16 from the field) but finished with a double-double with 11 points and 18 rebounds.

The bench unit for the Raptors was also a factor in this game as they scored 32 points. Cory Joseph led the bench as he scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes of play. Patrick Patterson also chipped in 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and five rebounds. Free throws were another valuable weapon for Toronto tonight as they made 21 free throws.

New York's Bright Spots

Despite the loss, there were a few positive takeaways in this game for the Knicks. Arron Afflalo seemed to have his shot back a bit, leading the Knicks in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting, four assists and two rebounds. He was also able to get to the basket a little more, something he has struggled with lately. Going forward, this is something that Afflalo needs to get back to.

Langston Galloway also had another solid game adding 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. Jerian Grant also played well chipping in 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He has struggled at times with his confidence this season but hopefully this game can propel him a bit going forward. The biggest surprise, however, was the play of Sasha Vujacic. He provided a spark off the bench in the second half scoring 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.

Up Next

The Toronto Raptors hope to make it 11 straight wins and keep tight wraps on the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They will take on the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at Air Canada Centre. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 PM EST.

The Knicks, hoping to end their four-game losing streak, will return to Madison Square Garden Friday as they will take on the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST. The game will be televised on the MSG Network.

Injury News

Carmelo Anthony told reporters that he hopes to play in Friday night's game against Phoenix.

Jose Calderon's status for Friday is unknown as of now

Kristaps Porzingis' status will likely be updated following morning shootaround.  

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About the author
Alex Bonura
Aspiring sports writer. Passionate NY sports fan; Yankees, Giants, Rangers. Live and breathe Knicks basketball.