Fred VanVleet Leads Toronto Raptors To Win Over New York Knicks; Randle Out With COVID-19

(Photo : Mark Blinch/Getty Images) TORONTO, ON - Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors goes to the basket against RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on January 2, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Toronto Raptors continued their mastery of the New York Knicks at home, recording a convincing 120-105 win on Sunday, January 2. Five players scored in double-figures for the Raptors, who extended their home winning streak against the Knicks to 11 games.

The Raptors finally are back to full strength after having ten players in the league's health and safety protocols for their loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, December 26. The Raptors had at their disposal their eight most-used players for the first time this season.

VanVleet scores season-high 35 points in rout

Fred VanVleet led all Bucks scorers with 35 points on 11 of 17 shooting from the field. He was particularly deadly from beyond the arc, knocking down seven of his 13 3-point attempts. VanVleet, who buried all six of his free throw attempts, also had five rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 31 minutes of action.

Pascal Siakam was Toronto's next leading scorer with 20 points as he torched the Knicks with a high 47 percent shooting clip. Siakam filled the stat sheet in this contest, racking up 14 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He played a total of 35 minutes in this encounter, the highest among Toronto players.

OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes were the other starters to score in double digits for Toronto. Anunoby scored 14 points on 4 of 11 shooting from the floor. He made his presence felt on the defensive end, nabbing a team-high three steals. Barnes made an immediate impact in his return, recording 13 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Barnes missed Friday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers because of soreness in his right knee. He also was sidelined in the previous two games due to COVID-19. Barnes did not show any ill effects of his bouts with the coronavirus and his bothersome knee, telling reporters after the game that he felt pretty good out there and was not so tired.

The first quarter of this matchup was tightly contested, with Toronto gaining a slim 30-27 advantage after the opening 12 minutes. The Raptors stretched that advantage to 11 points at halftime after outscoring the Knicks, 26-18, in the second quarter.

Raptors' third-quarter explosion sinks depleted Knicks

The Raptors, who played before a mostly empty stadium for the second consecutive game, piled on the pressure in the third quarter. They scored 40 points during this period to stretch their lead to 22 points after three quarters. VanVleet was the catalyst for Toronto's offensive explosion in the second half, scoring 19 of his season-high 35 points in the third quarter.

It was another disappointing defeat for the Knicks, who dropped to 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 17-20 record. They have now lost two games in a row after winning the previous three games. The Knicks struggled mightily without Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle, who joined Jericho Sims, Wayne Selden, and Nerlens Noel in the NBA's health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19.