Knicks Clinch No. 3 Seed with 112-95 Win Over Raptors

The New York Knicks secured the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 112-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The win improved the Knicks' record to 53-28 with two regular-season games remaining, positioning them for a first-round matchup against a lower-seeded opponent while ending Toronto's hopes of avoiding the play-in tournament.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting in just 31 minutes, adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Karl-Anthony Towns complemented him with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, shooting 8-of-12 from the field for a double-double. Mikal Bridges contributed 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. The Knicks dominated inside, outscoring the Raptors 58-48 in the paint, and extended their winning streak to five games while improving to 7-3 over their last 10 contests.

New York jumped to a 14-3 lead early in the first quarter and held a 22-21 edge after 12 minutes. They pulled away in the second, outscoring Toronto 29-15 to take a 51-36 halftime advantage. The Raptors narrowed the gap to 66-57 late in the third on a dunk by Brandon Ingram, but Brunson responded with a...