Brutal fight breaks out in Madison Square Garden amid Knicks vs. Raptors game

The New York Knicks convincingly beat the Toronto Raptors 112-98 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden but the antics of two supporters in the bleachers made the game memorable.

The tanking Toronto Raptors never led after the fifth minute in the first quarter (12-8) but that was evidently enough time for two fans to physically tangle in the bleachers.

"Crazy that two people found something to fight about 3 minutes into the game"

In the video, two unidentified fans sitting amongst other New York supporters can be seen throwing punches at one another. While the unnamed individual in the brown jacket and jeans tangled with his long-haired adversary wearing a jumper, others around them tried to break up their spirited bout.

Although the Madison Square Garden has a well-cultivated reputation for being one of the most raucous arenas in the NBA, the New York faithful were relatively subdued through the four quarters. Karl Anthony-Towns tallied 27 points and 13 rebounds and OG Anunoby recorded 27 points as well, cementing the Knicks (25-13) in third place in the East.

With their ninth loss in the last ten games, the Raptors now have the second fewest wins in the NBA and remain prime contenders to land premium lottery picks Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Tom Thibodeau pleased as Knicks snap losing streak

The victory against the Raptors marked head coach Tom Thibodeau's 200th win for the franchise, becoming the fifth coach in it's history to reach this mark. In five seasons, the Connecticut native has a 200-156 record at the helm of the Big Apple franchise.

In the post-game press conference Tom Thibodeau expressed his satisfaction at his players' hustle, a huge improvement upon their 'low-energy' defeat to Orlando on Monday Night. With the well-timed victory, the Knicks also snapped a three-game losing streak before important games at the Madison Square Garden against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Milwaukee Bucks up next.

"I thought we came out with a real spirit of togetherness...good things come from that"

He also complimented his players' mental fortitude and seemed to have an optimistic outlook for the season ahead.

"A big part of mental toughness is just having the belief that you can do things better"

The Knicks face a tough challenge against the Thunder when they play next on Friday night. Oklahoma City will be playing on the back of a close loss to Cleveland who snapped their 11-game winning streak on Wednesday night 129-122.