By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — Wilson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire gave New York basketball fans more reasons for optimism as the Knicks held on for a 98-93 win over the Toronto Raptors in their season opener on Wednesday.
Chandler came of the bench to score 22 points and Stoudemire chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds in his Knicks debut against the lowly Raptors.
"You want to beat the teams you feel you’re supposed to beat, so tonight was a big win for us," Stoudemire told the Associated Press afterward.
Stoudemire, who signed a $100 million deal with New York over the summer, faced double and triple teams all night and committed a team-high nine turnovers.
Chandler started for the Knicks last season, but coach Mike D'Antoni thinks he'd help the team out more by giving them some offensive firepower off the bench.
"I didn’t take it personally," Chandler told an AP reporter after the game. "I just took it as he had a better lineup. He’s a good coach so I just go along with what he says.”
Knicks newcomers Ray Felton and Landry Fields also had good debuts. Felton, who signed with New York as a free agent, had 15 points, 6 rebounds and a team-high six assists. Fields started at shooting guard and chipped in with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting.
Fellow rookie Timofey Mozgov started at center, but played just seven minutes because of foul trouble.
New York plays next at Boston on Friday before hosting Portland in their home opener on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
