Gameday: Raptors @ Knicks, January 8

For the third time in under a month, the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks will play basketball against each other.

The Dinos start up a three-game road streak Wednesday night, beginning at Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. These teams will square off yet again as New York has won the previous two matchups 113-108 and 139-125. Familiar faces are also part of the headline in this one, as OG Anunoby and Precious Achuiwa play their former team, as does RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

Raptors Outlook: 8-28 | 14th in Eastern Conference | Off rating: 109.4 (24th) | Def rating: 117.1 (26th) | Net rating: -7.7 (27th)

Raptors Previous Results

vs Milwaukee L 128-104

vs Orlando L 106-97

vs Brooklyn W 130-113

@ Boston L 125-71

@ Atlanta L 136-107

The Raps’ come into the game having lost 13 of their last 14 games, as the teams’ record sits at 8-28. Over those last 14 games, the defence has been particularly bad, setting records for the most points allowed in a single game and over a three-game stretch. Toronto has also had a -213 point differential over that span.

For the second time in nearly a full calendar year, the starting lineup of Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl are expected to play basketball together. This will also mark the second time Toronto’s injury report is fully clear, as the team has a clean bill of health. In the starters’ first game together this season against the Milwaukee Bucks, the first half was stronger than the second half, finishing as a +1 in 7:21 minutes of action before the break. The second half went off the rails, however, as the starters would end as a -10 in 14:36 total minutes of play.

It was also the first time this season that “BBQ” played together, as Barnes, Barrett, and Quickley shared the floor. The trio started strong in the first half against the Bucks, scoring or assisting on 45-of-47 points, before finishing the game by contributing with 69 of the Raptors’ 104 points overall.

It will be interesting to see how this group of starters continues to mesh and come together, as they have only played 18 minutes with each other ever.

Knicks Outlook: 24-13 | 3rd in Eastern Conference | Off rating: 119.2 (3rd) | Def rating: 112.4 (14th) | Net rating: 6.8 (5th)

Knicks Previous Results

vs Orlando L 103-94

@ Chicago L 139-126

@ Oklahoma City L 117-107

vs Utah W 119-103

@ Washington W 126-106

New York comes into this one on a three-game skid. The Knicks will be looking to end that losing streak against a team they have already claimed two victories against, and the key to doing that might be former Toronto Raptor Anunoby.

The 27-year-old finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, and four assists the last time these two teams matched up when OG couldn’t miss. He would end up going 13-for-15 from the field and 4-for-6 from deep, getting to the rim, hitting turnaround middy’s, and nailing open triples. He also played stout defence, as watching him and Scottie Barnes match up will be a sight to see once again.

Game Info

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET

Television: TSN

Radio: Sportsnet 590 The Fan

Starting Lineups (Projected)

New York Knicks

PG: Jalen Brunson

SG: Mikal Bridges

SF: Josh Hart

PF: OG Anunoby

C: Jericho Sims

Toronto Raptors

PG: Immanuel Quickley

SG: Gradey Dick

SF: RJ Barrett

PF: Scottie Barnes

C: Jakob Poeltl

Injury Report

Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns (Knee) – Questionable

Miles McBride (Hamstring) – Out

Mitchell Robinson (Ankle) – Out

Raptors

N/A

Lines

Team	Spread	Money	Total
New York Knicks	-11.5 (-111)	-556	O 230.5 (-111)
Toronto Raptors	+11.5 (-111)	+500	U 230.5 (-111)

*Odds as of Jan. 8, 12:00 am ET*

All Toronto Raptors odds are provided by NBA Betting Site Betway!

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