How It Happened
The Knicks' preseason finale was a tale of two halves -- the first full of crisp offense for both teams and the second a rugged battle that had all the intensity of the regular season. Toronto would ultimately prevail, 83-80, but Derek Fisher's squad showed true grit in fighting back from a 10-point second half deficit.
New York had the chance to win or tie on multiple occasions in the game's final minute, an accomplishment in itself after being outscored 25-11 in the third quarter. The Knicks' early offensive execution stalled, but good energy and effort kept them in the game; when shots stopped falling, they compensated with 15 offensive rebounds and 13 steals as a team.
Shane Larkin (10 points), Quincy Acy (eight points, 10 rebounds) and Pablo Prigioni (eight points, seven assists) brought relentless pressure on both ends of the floor and keyed the second half comeback.
Knick of the Night
Carmelo Anthony scored 12 points first six minutes and went on to tally 24 in his seventh preseason game. He shot 8-for-17 from the floor and made all five of his free throw attempts.
News & Notes
Samuel Dalembert had 10 rebounds in his return to Montreal, the city he moved to from Haiti at the age of 14. Dalembert addressed the enthusiastic crowd before the game. Jose Calderon (calf) did not play for precautionary reasons, but is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Next Up
The regular season opens Wednesday night as Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol lead the Chicago Bulls into Madison Square Garden.