The Knicks headed to Toronto on Tuesday night needing a statement, and Jalen Brunson delivered it with the command that made the entire building feel like it belonged to him. Dropping 35 effortless and perfectly timed points, Brunson set the tone for a night where New York finally broke through to the NBA Cup semifinals after two years of frustration in this event.
Josh Hart’s all-around brilliance and Karl-Anthony Towns’ steady interior presence, complete with 14 points and 16 boards, gave the Knicks a complete performance in a game where they never truly lost control. Even Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, facing his former team, chipped in with timely scoring and defense as New York built a 17-point halftime cushion that Toronto never threatened.
The Knicks punished the Raptors during a disastrous second quarter in which Toronto could barely buy a bucket, and by the time the final horn sounded, New York had earned its best Cup run yet, and a date with Orlando in Las Vegas on Saturday. Let’s dive into the Knicks player ratings.
Jalen Brunson: A+
Game Stats: 35 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 13-19 FG, 6-9 3PT, 3-5 FT, 39 MIN
Jalen Brunson was the player of the game, without question. He posted an impressive 35 points on 13-19 from the field, went 6-9 from three, and even made three free throws in 39 minutes. Among all the stars in this game, Brunson shone the brightest. He dominated the game with pace and cleverness, and there was no answer for him. In 39 minutes, Brunson never slowed down a second, and he could have played all 48 if he had to. Against the Raptors, Brunson had his way, and an A+ is well-deserved.
Josh Hart: A
Game Stats: 21 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 8-11 FG, 4-7 3PT, 1-1 FT, 36 MIN
Hart left his mark on just about every part of this game. The scoring was big, 21 points and four triples matter in any playoff-type setting, but it was everything around the edges that really tilted things toward New York. He kept turning defensive rebounds into instant offense, darting up the floor before Toronto could even organize, and seemed to pop into passing lanes right when the Raptors thought they had something brewing. Any time the Knicks’ momentum started to sag, Hart was the one revving it back up with a hustle play or a scrap for a loose ball. And if there was a rebound hanging in the air with bodies crashing everywhere, he was almost always the first one to come down with it. Those little surges the Knicks had in the first and third quarters? You could trace nearly all of them back to him.
Karl-Anthony Towns: A
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 16 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 4-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 5-6 FT, 31 MIN
Towns didn’t light up the scoreboard, but he controlled the interior in a way that changed the game. His 16 rebounds kept Toronto from getting any real second-chance rhythm, and he looked sharp physically after missing Sunday’s contest. He battled inside, contested everything around the rim, and knocked down his free throws when the Knicks needed someone to stop a small Raptors run. It was one of those nights where his impact was more about presence and consistency than scoring, and New York benefitted from it.
Mikal Bridges: B+
Game Stats: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 6-14 FG, 3-8 3PT, 0-0 FT, 36 MIN
Bridges didn’t have a takeover kind of night on the offensive end, but he still found a way to matter in all the right places. He sprinkled in a couple of timely threes, the sort that quietly steady a team when a possession starts to drift, yet it was his defense that really shaped things. Toronto never looked fully at ease with him trailing their shooters through screens, and he poked loose a few passes that jump-started the Knicks’ second-quarter push. He never tried to do too much, never stepped outside the rhythm of the game, and instead delivered the kind of dependable two-way effort that coaches don’t have to think twice about.
OG Anunoby: B
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 4-11 FG, 1-6 3PT, 4-4 FT, 36 MIN
Anunoby’s return to Toronto didn’t come with any dramatic scoring binge, but he quietly delivered the kind of rugged, detail-oriented game that coaches swear by. The threes weren’t dropping, yet he made up for it by locking down lanes, bodying up drivers without picking up cheap fouls, and swiping a couple of passes that swung possessions entirely. There was an edge to the way he moved—nothing out of control, just a focused, deliberate effort from someone who clearly understood the weight of the moment. His cuts, his rotations, his willingness to do the grimy stuff… it all gave New York exactly what it needed, even if the box score only told half the story.
Jordan Clarkson: B
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 5-10 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-4 FT, 26 MIN
Clarkson stepped in and immediately gave the Knicks a bench spark, the kind of instant offense that changes the temperature of a game. He didn’t hijack possessions or hunt shots, but he read the flow beautifully, one quick pull-up here, a slice to the rim there, always arriving right when the Knicks needed someone to jolt the pace. Whenever Toronto floated back into the game or the offense started to bog down, Clarkson found a way to puncture the lull. His stretch felt smooth and composed, the exact brand of shot-making and poise a second unit depends on in a tight, playoff-style outing.
Mitchell Robinson: B-
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 TO, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-8 FT, 16 MIN
Despite not seeing a great deal of playing time, Robinson produced a lot of rebounding and passing contributions. By being able to contribute to the rebounding department and help create an imbalance in the paint (in favor of New York), Robinson proved to be important at a time when all aspects were crucial to winning. Robinson filled his role adequately, which is reason enough to assign him a B-.
Kevin McCullar Jr.: N/A
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1-1 FG, 1-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 MIN
McCullar barely saw the floor, but he made the most of the small window he got. He came in, stepped into a clean look, and buried a three as if he’d been in rhythm all night. It’s hard to say much about his overall play in just one minute, but hitting a shot immediately is the exact kind of thing that earns a coach’s trust for later games.
Tyler Kolek: N/A
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 8 MIN
Kolek wasn’t out there to reinvent the offense, but he gave the Knicks exactly what you want from a young guard in limited minutes: calm, clean basketball. It was a small sample, so he gets an N/A.
Guerschon Yabusele: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 7 MIN
Yabusele had an average night as far as rhythm was concerned. He missed his only shot attempt, and therefore, he was unable to establish any sort of timing for making an impact, rebounding, or on the defensive end of the court. Overall, Yabusele played fewer than 10 minutes and did not establish himself in this game in any capacity.
Tosan Evbuomwan: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 MIN
Evbuomwan only played for a short time late in the game, so it was impossible to really evaluate what he brought to the table throughout the course of that game. That being said, it would be unreasonable to create any sort of rating based on one minute of action.
Mohamed Diawara: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 MIN
Diawara saw the floor for a moment late, took a shot, and didn’t get enough time to settle in. Hard to evaluate much from that, so this one stays neutral.
Ariel Hukporti: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 MIN
Hukporti also logged a single minute with no real chances to make a play. With no mistakes and no meaningful touches, this grade simply reflects the limited role he had in the win.
