Without Kristaps Porzingis And Carmelo Anthony, Knicks Fall Hard To Raptors

The New York Knicks found themselves with a shortened lineup on Thursday night, missing their point guard and top two players. As expected, they didn’t stand a chance against the Toronto Raptors, who defeated them 103-93 at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday night. This was the Knicks’ fourth straight loss.

Without Kristaps Porzingis And Carmelo Anthony, Knicks Fall Hard To Raptors

Forward Kristaps Porzingis’s goal of playing every game was shattered after, according to the team, an upper respiratory illness forced him to stay out for this game.

“It doesn’t matter at this point,” Knicks head coach Derek Fisher stated when asked whether his star rookie could play in Friday’s home game against the Suns. “It was irrelevant. He didn’t play,” Fisher then added when asked for more details regarding Porzingis’s illness.

Fellow star forward Carmelo Anthony was also unable to join the Knicks on Thursday, missing his second straight game due to knee soreness. Point guard Jose Calderon was the third New York player who missed the game. He was out with a groin injury.

To replace them, Fisher used a player typically out of his rotation – Kyle O’Quinn – and two others acquired last season on 10-day contracts – Langston Galloway and Lance Thomas.

The Raptors gained the lead late in the first quarter and held onto it. The game marked Toronto’s 10th consecutive victory for the first time in franchise history, thus improving to 31-15.

“We didn’t do the things to win regardless of who suits up,” Fisher said. The Knicks coach hinted there may be a virus going around the team.

Contrary to Fisher’s comments two days earlier, Anthony revealed that there was a setback that kept him out of the Knicks’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. This was the Knicks’ sixth straight loss without Anthony this season.

“That day the soreness spiked up so I didn’t want to go out there and be (limited) out there,” Anthony said. “I wanted to go out there and be myself. If I can’t be myself out there I feel like I’m hindering the team a little bit.”

PHOTO: CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 11: Teammates Kristaps Porzingis #6 and Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks try to stop Frank Kaminsky #44 of the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on November 11, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina.