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Anunoby shines In Knicks Debut
The immediate returns from a recent trade between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors are bountiful.
Donning orange and blue for the first time on New Year's Day, O.G. Anunoby proved why he was worth acquiring by scoring 17 points, grabbing six rebounds, and playing shutdown defense as a team-high +19 in a 112-106 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks got the W in OG Anunoby’s debut 💪
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2024
OG: 17 PTS, 6 REB pic.twitter.com/xpi93ehLT7
Anunoby received a loud ovation from Knicks supporters in attendance upon exiting the game after picking up his sixth personal foul.
New York knocked off the No. 1 team in the Western Conference as the 1.5-point underdog, improving to 2-4 ATS and SU across its last six outings.
Barrett, Quickley deliver for raptors
Not to be outdone, the Knicks' outgoing pieces in the trade for Anunoby also had memorable debuts in their new surroundings.
Hometown boy RJ Barrett had a near double-double of 19 points and nine rebounds while Immanuel Quickley contributed 14 points and a pair of steals as the Raptors bounced back from an embarrassing defeat to the Detroit Pistons days earlier, knocking off the Cleveland Cavaliers in a narrow 124-121 win at Scotiabank Arena.
The new-look Raptors got the home W in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley's Toronto debut!
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2024
RJ: 19 PTS, 9 REB
IQ: 14 PTS, 6 REB pic.twitter.com/ANJ2Arg6lg
Despite having just lost to the lowly Pistons, oddsmakers had the Raptors as the 2.5-point favorites coming off the trade with New York, along with the fact that Cleveland was missing Evan Mobley and Darius Garland due to injury.
Clarkson Makes Jazz History With Triple-Double
It had been 5,800 days since a player on the Utah Jazz last finished with a triple-double. The Jazz had played 1,256 regular season games during that stretch, with 165 different NBA players notching 1,204 triple-doubles.
Jordan Clarkson ended the longest drought in NBA history on Monday, ending with a line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a blowout 127-90 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks.
Jordan Clarkson secures his first career triple-double and becomes the first Jazz player with a triple-double since Carlos Boozer on 2/13/2008. pic.twitter.com/iItFL9Nwen
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2024
Utah entered as the 3.5-point underdogs and is now riding a six-game winning streak ATS.
