The East semifinals in the NBA Cup are set.
The New York Knicks thumped the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, Dec. 9 in a 117-101 victory fueled by a massive night from Jalen Brunson, who scored 20 of his 35 points in the first quarter. And so now New York will play the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup East semifinal.
New York controlled the game after it held the Raptors to 13 points on 5 field goals in the second quarter. The Knicks outscored Toronto 34-13 in the period and never relinquished control.
The Knicks had six players reach double figures in scoring, with Josh Hart chipping in 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Brandon Ingram recorded 31 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, but the Raptors were only able to get 13 points from Scottie Barnes. The Knicks blitzed Barnes with double teams to force the ball out of his hands, limiting his effectiveness on offense.
The Knicks have won eight of their last nine games, while the Raptors have lost four consecutive.
The Knicks and Magic will play Saturday, Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET from Las Vegas.
Knicks vs. Raptors highlights
End Q3: Knicks 94, Raptors 79
The good news for the Raptors: they did far better in the third quarter than they did in the second. The bad news: Toronto is still carrying a 15-point deficit into the fourth quarter, and its chances at securing a berth in the NBA Cup East Semis seems unlikely.
The Raptors did cut into New York’s biggest lead in the third (24), but Josh Hart had a massive quarter and heads into the fourth with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Jalen Brunson leads all players with 33, while the Raptors have struggled for players beside Brandon Ingram to score; Ingram has a team-high 27 points, and the next closest Raptor, Jamal Shead, has 17. After him, two players are tied for just 10 points.
End Q2: Knicks 69, Raptors 52
There were seven ties and nine lead changes in the first half, but the Knicks opened a monster lead in the second quarter.
Toronto started the period shooting just 1-of-9 from the floor, but the operation could not stabilize even after Brandon Ingram returned to the floor after catching a breather. The Raptors scored just 13 points in the quarter and finished just 5-of-21 (23.8%) from the field in the second.
The Knicks outscored Toronto 34-13 in the period.
After his 17-point first quarter, Ingram added just 2 points in the second, though he started the period on the bench.
The Knicks now have three players — Jalen Brunson (26), Karl-Anthony Towns (10) and OG Anunoby (10) — who have reached double figures in scoring.
End Q1: Raptors 39, Knicks 35
It was a quarter of runs, but the Raptors ended the first quarter of their NBA Cup East Quarterfinal game against the Knicks with a four-point edge.
From 5-0 (New York) to start the game, to a 7-0 (Raptors) run to close the gap, to a 10-3 Knicks spurt to pull ahead, both teams repeatedly found ways to answer. And for New York, the solution, by and large, was Jalen Brunson, who drained 7-of-9 shots in the period to open the game with 20 points.
Not to be outdone, Brandon Ingram continued his hot start to this season with 17 first quarter points of his own, adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the period.
Both teams shot the ball incredibly well, with New York flushing them at a 65% clip, while Toronto hit 57.7% of its shots.
With the Magic already clinched, Knicks vs. Raptors is underway
The Orlando Magic took down the Heat to clinch the first spot in the NBA Cup East Semifinal Saturday, Dec. 13 in Las Vegas, and they’ll play the winner between the Knicks and Raptors.
New York started hot, making its first four shots, though turnovers allowed Toronto to claw back into it. The Raptors went on a 7-0 run to take an early 15-11 lead.
Knicks vs. Raptors start time update
The Knicks-Raptors game is slated to tip at 8:47 p.m. ET, the Knicks said.
New York Knicks starting lineup
Josh Hart
OG Anunoby
Jalen Brunson
Mikal Bridges
Karl-Anthony Towns
Toronto Raptors starting lineup
Jamal Shead
Scottie Barnes
Ochai Agbaji
Brandon Ingram
Jakob Poeltl
What time is Knicks vs. Raptors NBA Cup game today?
The Toronto Raptors will host the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
How to watch Knicks vs. Raptors NBA Cup game: TV, live streaming
The game between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks will be live streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video.
Date: Dec. 9, 2025
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)
TV: None
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Watch NBA Cup games with Amazon Prime
Knicks, Raptors injury updates
New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns is listed as questionable on the injury report with left calf tightness and will be a game-time decision, while Landry Shamet is out with a right shoulder sprain.
The Raptors, meanwhile, will be without RJ Barrett, who is dealing with a right knee sprain.