Leonard scores 21 in Raptors return as Toronto beats Knicks, 148-98

Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto’s lineup quickly became a comfortable preseason introduction, with the Raptors building a huge first-half lead against a New York team playing without its usual starters.

The NBA’s official highlights capture Leonard’s first game of this preseason and the scoring that opened the contest up before the break.

Toronto defeated the Knicks 148-98 at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday. Leonard scored 21 points in 17 minutes, making four of eight three-pointers and six of 12 shots overall. He also collected five rebounds and two steals, with no turnovers, while playing only in the first half.

The Raptors scored 42 points in the opening quarter and 44 in the second, taking an 86-47 lead into halftime. Their lead eventually reached 53 points. The final margin was 50, even after Toronto turned the rest of the evening over to deeper parts of its rotation.

Leonard’s appearance was the main event, but the production around him was substantial. Scottie Barnes scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and added six rebounds and four assists. Collin Murray-Boyles also scored 19, making all seven of his field-goal attempts, including both of his threes, and grabbing nine rebounds.

RJ Barrett contributed 17 points and three assists. Ja’Kobe Walter had 14 points, with four makes on six three-point attempts. Toronto finished with 17 threes on 44 tries and made 51 of 89 shots from the field overall.

The ball security and passing were as striking as the scoring. Toronto recorded 34 assists and nine total turnovers. New York had 24 assists and 18 total turnovers. The Raptors also outscored the Knicks 25-10 in fast-break points and finished with a 51-38 rebounding advantage.

The opponent and lineup choices matter when interpreting those figures. Canadian Press reported that Toronto used its full starting lineup for the first time this preseason, while New York played its depth players. Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic had described integrating Leonard with his teammates as the purpose of the limited appearance. Toronto benched its starters with more than three minutes left in the third quarter, according to that report.

James Wiseman was New York’s leading scorer, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes. He made seven of eight shots. Mohamed Diawara added 13 points, while Tyler Nickel scored 11 and Pacome Dadiet had 10. The Knicks made just seven of 41 threes, leaving them unable to match Toronto’s perimeter production.

The second half offered additional minutes for evaluation, but the competitive shape of the game had already been established. Toronto led 116-78 after three quarters and added another 32 points in the fourth.

Leonard’s workload stayed modest, which was part of the evening’s design. For the Raptors, the useful result was an efficient first appearance alongside their starters. The size of the win belongs with the preseason and lineup context; the successful minutes together give Toronto a clearer starting point for the games that count.

Sources

ESPN: final box score and full play-by-play, October 13 · Canadian Press via Sportsnet: Leonard’s preseason debut