Knicks foil Raptors’ comeback and hold on for win

TORONTO — In a span of 24 hours the Knicks had seen their performance swing wildly, from a fourth-quarter comeback Monday to seeing a huge lead nearly wiped away Tuesday. And the common denominator? When the Knicks needed someone to save them they put the ball in Jalen Brunson’s hands and watched the magic happen.

The Knicks saw a 23-point, third-quarter lead disappear, cut down to one in the final minutes of the game. And it was Brunson who once again provided the dagger when the Knicks needed it, scoring a team-high 28 points to help them hold off Toronto for a 121-115 win at Scotiabank Arena.

With the Knicks up by three with 52 seconds left, Brunson buried a long jumper and then, after Scottie Barnes hit a pair of free throws to cut it to three again, Brunson sank a three-pointer with 25.8 seconds left to push the lead to six.

Is there any fear of failure? Or just confidence that in the clutch, well, this is what he does?

“Confidence,” Brunson said. “Because if I fail, you learn from it. Very confident in situations and it’s something I had to learn from a young age and not be afraid to fail.”

Rising in the fourth quarter when the intensity is magnified is something that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau preaches to his team, and if Brunson’s teammates feel he does that it’s no accident.

“That’s what he does, man,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Get to watch his show on the court. That’s the best seat in the house. When you get to see Cap do what he does, it’s a special thing.”

“I think that’s what you want all your leaders to do, play your best when your best is needed,” Thibodeau said. “That comes from your preparation. That’s where you get your confidence from. But it also requires everybody working together. If Jalen has an advantage he’ll be able to score.

“If you make a commitment to put two onto him everyone has to be working at the same speed that he’s working at and be in the right areas so he has outlets so he can get the ball out and then we know we have a great advantage from that. So don’t fight the game and I think that’s what he’s been great at.”

The Knicks were on the second night of a home and away back-to-back set, but that seemed like no excuse to squander a huge lead against Toronto, which came in with 16-33 record and were missing key players, including RJ Barrett.

It wasn’t just Brunson. Towns piled up massive first-half numbers and then finished with 27 points 20 rebounds. Josh Hart had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists. And rookie Ariel Hukporti finished off a strong performance by finally grabbing the game-ending rebound to allow the Knicks to exhale.

The Raptors pulled within one on a Jamahl Shead layup with 3:17 left, but a pair of layups by Hart kept the Raptors from ever taking the lead and set the stage for Brunson once again.

The Knicks seemed like they might not need any late heroics on this night, not after a second quarter that turned a 34-30 deficit into a 68-51 advantage. Towns may have put up the numbers, piling up 20 points and 15 rebounds in the half in 19 minutes, but the Knicks also got help from an unexpected source.

Hukporti came off the bench to play 13 minutes in the half, scoring six points on 3-for-3 shooting and getting three rebounds (with a pretty assist, too). And he finished off the half matched up defensively against Barnes, stopping him twice on the possession before eventually grabbing the defensive rebound.

The ascension of Hukporti in recent days has presented an interesting twist with the trade deadline approaching. Even the scoreless, four-foul performance Monday was still active enough to prompt Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan to enter the postgame locker room, beelining to Hukporti and complimenting him on his effort.

The Knicks have been searching for help alongside or behind Towns as the deadline approaches and ideally, a healthy Mitchell Robinson would fit that better than any trade targets they can find available. But even as he moves toward a return to play after undergoing surgery on his ankle in May, depending on him to remain healthy remains a risky proposition.

Hukporti has passed Jericho Sims in the rotation and there is a belief the Knicks will try to move Sims to provide him with an opportunity elsewhere. Hukporti has the size and athleticism, but also plays like the rookie he is much of the time, overly aggressive and out of control.

Notes & quotes: OG Anunoby (sprained right foot) did not accompany the team to Toronto. who was cleared for contact Monday as he continues to work his way back from left ankle surgery, was with the team even though there is no timeline for a return to game action“It’s more medical, whatever they feel is best in that situation,” Thibodeau said. “So it was a one-day trip so we just looked at it that way. There’s also the team meeting aspect of it. That’s really where it came from. Mitch is doing more and more. So it’s good to have him with us so he can start getting into the routine . . . Former Knick RJ Barrett was inactive Tuesday because of a concussion.