For what it’s worth, the trade exception the Raptors acquired in the Siakam package with the Indiana Pacers expires in a few days. According to the arcane rules surrounding the NBA’s trade guidelines, an expiration date is attached to trade exceptions. It arrives one year after a deal is engineered.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 13 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 27 points, and the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 112-98

The Raptors have lost three times in a month to the Knicks, roughly one year out from their blockbuster trade.

NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 13 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 27 points ... Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points against his former team and Scottie Barnes had 18 for the Raptors, who have lost two straight and 14 of 15.

RJ Barrett had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Toronto snapped a 10-game losing streak against Boston with a victory over the Celtics. Jakob Poeltl added 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Raptors won consecutive games for the third time.

The setback was also the largest in Nets history. The franchise lost by 52 (139-87) to the Houston Rockets on Oct. 18, 1978, when it was known as the New Jersey Nets. Brooklyn's 67 points were the fewest scored in an NBA game this season.

Free Press sports writer Omari Sankofa II has an NBA All-Star vote. Here's his case for fourth-year Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.

Jalen Brunson scored 16 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Josh Hart had the 11th triple-double of his career as the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 125-119 on Wednesday night.

Mark Williams scored a career high 31 points and had 13 rebounds to help the Charlotte Hornets beat the Utah Jazz 117-112 on Wednesday night. LaMelo Ball added 27 points, nine assists and three blocks to help Charlotte snap a seven-game road losing streak.

Monday's NBA slate features six games, but one that is sure to garner much attention is the Memphis Grizzlies traveling to Houston to take on the Rockets. Memphis will be fired up after falling short in their first two matchups and looking for a better outcome this time around. Meanwhile, the Rockets are riding high on a three-game winning streak.

• Boucher and Jamal Shead have provided real pop for the Raptors off the bench the last two games. Shead had 8 big points as the Raptors risked falling out of the game late in the third quarter — a midrange jumper, a corner 3 and a driving layup, plus the foul. Shead finished with 10 points and five assists.

Nikola Jokic posted his league-leading 17th triple-double of the season, bundling 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets' 133-113 road win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.