The last time the Knicks ventured across the border to Toronto RJ Barrett had approximately 1,000 guests for whom he had gotten tickets, crowding into Scotiabank Arena. Sunday afternoon, there was an attendance limit of 1,000 for the entire arena, with the Raptors limiting it to just a handful of friends and family.
It wasn’t the number of fans that concerned Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks coach instead focused on the number of players he had available. The Knicks arrived missing a trio of starters, three of their centers and their primary playmakers, as the NBA’s health and safety protocols along with troublesome injuries reduced the team to a skeleton crew.
Blaming it on absences of players or fans though wouldn’t do justice to what the Knicks put out on the floor, which was hardly the sort of effort that would appease the coach as they were beaten soundly by the Raptors, 120-105.
