Leonard leads Toronto in his preseason return
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points as the Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks 148–98 at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, October 13. The preseason result was completed on Wednesday, October 14, Philippine time.
Leonard was Toronto’s leading scorer in his first appearance of the exhibition schedule. Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles each supplied 19 points, giving the Raptors three substantial contributions as they built a 50-point winning margin.
The appearance also marked Leonard’s first game in a Raptors uniform since the championship-winning 2018–19 season. His return gave Toronto an opportunity to see him alongside the current group in game conditions before the regular season begins.
New York’s circumstances were different. The Knicks were playing on the second night of a preseason back-to-back, and the game became an extended examination of their reserves. The loss left them 0–4 in the exhibition schedule, according to SNY’s postgame report.
The final margin was emphatic, but the preseason setting matters when assessing it. Neither the score nor the Knicks’ exhibition record counts toward the regular-season standings, and changing lineups make direct comparisons with a full-strength matchup difficult.
For Toronto, the clearest takeaway was Leonard’s successful scoring contribution on his return, supported by Barnes and Murray-Boyles. For New York, another heavy defeat added to the work remaining before its regular-season opener.