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NEW YORK — The Toronto Raptors are looking to build some momentum with the season entering the final turn.
They're still looking, as they surrendered a big lead in the first quarter and lost 103-99 to the lowly New York Knicks, whose 17-38 record is the second-worst in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
The loss dropped Toronto to 29-24 on the year.
The Raptors, who trailed by as many as 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, cut the Knicks' lead to two points with a minute left as Carlos Delfino scored six of his 18 points off the bench in the last five minutes.
The Knicks' Fred Jones, right, flies to the basket past Raptors Anthony Parker, left, and Jose Calderon Friday night in New York. The Knicks won 103-99. (REUTERS/Chip East)
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But Zach Randolph drove at Chris Bosh and scored with 40 seconds remaining to extend the Knicks' lead to four. Anthony Parker and Bosh made baskets in the dying seconds to cut the lead to two, but Nate Robinson hit four consecutive free throws to ice the game for New York.
If the Raptors need some small comfort, they'll get a chance to avenge the loss Sunday night at the Air Canada Centre when the Knicks visit. But instead of going for their fourth win in a row, they'll be rebounding from a disappointing loss.
"I'm feeling really bad because we want to be more consistent, we have to win these kinds of games," said Raptors point guard Jose Calderon, who had an uncharacteristic four turnovers against six assists, while shooting just 5 of 15 from the floor. "We play bad, but we still have to find a way to win these games."
The Knicks can thank Jamal Crawford for their victory. They were trailing by 14 points in the second quarter when he checked back into the game, and he then poured 39 points in over the next three periods to take his game total to 43.
But the Raptors can blame just about everyone as they offered up 15 turnovers, a range of questionable shots (while getting Bosh just 15) and the odd defensive brain cramp.
Toronto also gave up a fair share of offensive rebounds — the Knicks' David Lee had three of his game-high five in the third quarter as New York completed the comeback Crawford started in the second quarter by taking an 81-75 lead into the fourth. The Knicks got 12 offensive rebounds on the night, grabbing 45 in total to the Raptors' 36.
"Offensive rebounds, second-chance points and Jamal Crawford had 43," Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell said, succinctly summarizing the game.
Bosh led the Raptors with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, though he also added five turnovers. The Raptors shot 46.7 per cent from the floor, but just 38.9 per cent in the second half. Randolph scored 24 of his 26 points in the final three quarters and added 15 rebounds in support of Crawford as the Knicks — who scored just 12 points in the first quarter on 23 per cent shooting — ended up shooting 44.4 per cent for the game.
The Raptors swear they didn't take the struggling Knicks lightly.
"We know they're capable of going into DC and getting a win and going into Philly and getting beat pretty bad [but] they got a lot of talent," said Anthony Parker, who was Crawford's most favoured victim. "They have a lot of options and they played well tonight."
Toronto looked like they might be in for an easy one as they opened up a 30-16 lead early in the first quarter, but New York got back in the game.
"When we have a team down like that we have to play a little bit harder, run the court harder, beat guys up a little bit better and try to extend the lead, we can do a much better job of that," said Bosh, who was trapped constantly by the Knicks to limit his shot attempts.
But it's not clear how the Raptors would have stopped Crawford, who went off for 21 points in eight second-quarter minutes, using his quickness and ball-handling to get to the basket. He also connected on 6-of-16 three-point shots.
"One-on-one, he has the ball on a string and he can get to where he wants to go," Parker said. "And when he's shooting like that it's tough."
The Raptors were bolstered by the return to the lineup of point guard T.J. Ford, who had missed the Raptors' past two games before the all-star break with a wrist injury and their first game after the break with a strained stomach muscle. Newcomer Primoz Brezec, acquired from the Detroit Pistons on Thursday in a trade for Juan Dixon, was not in the lineup.
Brezec drove to Toronto from Detroit late Thursday night, took his physical early yesterday morning, flew to New York in the afternoon and took a taxi to Madison Square Garden, arriving in time for pregame warm-ups, though he watched the game on the bench in a suit.
