TORONTO -- The New York Knicks have much bigger goals than anything they could accomplish right now, but checking off micro wins along the way can only help -- the first being continuing to establish their identity.

The Knicks advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas with a convincing 117-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, their eighth win in nine games.

The wins are starting to look similar, with Jalen Brunson setting the pace. Brunson scored 20 of his game-high 35 points in the first quarter, which helped offset Karl-Anthony Towns spending much of the quarter on the bench in foul trouble, and Brandon Ingram powering Toronto with 17 points in the opening frame.

More than anything, the Knicks' opportunistic defense was on full display, holding the

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