The Toronto Raptors will travel to New York to take on the Knicks for the third time in less than a month.
The Raptors have a difficult stretch ahead as they will be on a three-game road trip, beginning on Wednesday Night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have taken the first two matchups of the season series 113-108 and 139-125.
This will be a battle of familiar faces with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley healthy for the Raptors and OG Anunoby and Precious Achuiwa on the other side.
The Raptors will need a spark in this game. The team has been abysmal losing 13 of their last 14 games. Over those 14 games, the Raptors have been setting dubious records and they have a -213 point differential over that span.
Things looked to be trending up for this team when they got their full squad back for the first time all season against the Milwaukee Bucks, but they got blown out. For just the second time in nearly a calendar year, the starting lineup of Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl will take the floor. The Raptors are fully healthy entering this one and this will be a true test of their character following a couple of bad losses.
The Raptors are going to need more production outside of their core “BBQ.” Barnes, Barrett, and Quickley scored or assisted on 45 of 47 points Raptors’ first-half points against Milwaukee and finished with 69 of the Raptors’ 104 points overall.
If there’s a perfect time to catch the Knicks off guard it’s now as the team is on a three-game skid. However, New York will be eager to bounce back with all of its firepower which will be tough for this Raptors’ defense to contain. Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) is questionable for New York, while Miles McBride (hamstring) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) are out.
Toronto Raptors (8-28) vs. New York Knicks (24-13)
7:30 p.m. EST, Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: TSN
Projected Knicks Starting Lineup:
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Mikal Bridges
SF: Josh Hart
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Jericho Sims
Key Reserves: Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne
Projected Raptors Starting Lineup:
PG: Immanuel Quickley
SG: Gradey Dick
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Jakob Poeltl
Key Reserves: Ochai Agbaji, Bruce Brown, Ja’Kobe Walter
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