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Faster starts a priority for Knicks, Raptors

Sun Dec 8 7:20pm ET
Field Level Media

The visiting New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors aim to bring more early energy to their game on Monday night than they did in their previous outings.

Both teams did not pick up the pace until it was too late in losses on Saturday night.

The Knicks, who played without center Karl-Anthony Towns, trailed by as many as 17 points and cut the lead to two before losing at home 120-111 to the Detroit Pistons. New York never led in the game.

"We started slow," said Jalen Brunson, who had 31 points and 10 assists. "They dictated the pace and the physicality, and they played well with the lead all game."

Said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau: "The way we started the game, they got going offensively and we weren't into the ball, didn't challenge shots. Got in a big hole early and then played from behind."

Towns, who averages 25.2 points and a team-high 13.2 rebounds per game, was scratched after taking part in pregame warmups. He is questionable for Monday's game with left knee soreness.

Reserve guard Cameron Payne is also questionable after missing his second straight game Saturday with a swollen elbow.

"You're not going to replace (Towns) individually and Cam, but collectively we can," Thibodeau said. "We can play great defense. We can rebound the ball as a team, and that's what you have to do. You're not going to rely on one guy to get you 13 rebounds, but collectively we can do it. That's where we have to be better. We have to learn from it."

New York fell behind by double digits less than four minutes into Saturday's game and trailed 39-23 after the first quarter.

"We lacked energy in that first quarter," said Josh Hart, who scored 17 points. "Didn't come out aggressive, physical. ... We've just got to be better. There's been a couple lulls in the first quarter that we've got to fix. We can't always try to dig ourselves out of holes."

The Raptors crept within five points of the visiting Dallas Mavericks after trailing by 24 but lost 125-118. Toronto has lost two straight home games since winning its previous four.

"I don't think that we played hard enough in the first half," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. "I think we played really hard in the second half. ...I'm really pleased with how we played (in the) second half.

"We ended up with (37) assists. That was a big emphasis for us, trusting the pass and playing together. I thought that we overall played a good game, but against that type of opponent, you've got to bring it for 48 minutes."

Gradey Dick led Toronto with 27 points. Jakob Poeltl (illness) returned after missing one game and had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Scottie Barnes had 19 points and a career-best 14 assists to record his sixth double-double in his past seven games.

Kelly Olynyk made his season debut for the Raptors on Saturday after missing the first 23 games with a back issue. He scored 13 points in 14 minutes off the bench.

"The shooting that Kelly brings to the team, that's a big factor there," Rajakovic said. "He's still very good playing in a pocket pass. He's a very good connector, finding his teammates.

"I think he's going to really help that second unit and we're going to take a look at what it looks like when he's playing five, when he's playing four, when he's in different spots on the court."

Toronto went 0-4 against New York last season.