For the second of a back-to-back, New York travels north to face familiar foes.
The New York Knicks (33-17) visit the Toronto Raptors (16-33) tonight for the second of a back-to-back. Last night, the New York Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson’s 42 points and 10 assists, rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Houston Rockets 124-118 in thrilling fashion at Madison Square Garden. Brunson surpassed Carmelo Anthony for third in franchise history for career 40-point games, and it was a gritty bounce-back win after dropping a bummer to the Lakers on Saturday.
As for the Raptors, things are looking up of late. After dropping 15 of 16 games, they seem to have fixed what ailed them by winning eight of their last 10 (including a recently snapped five-game streak). During this stretch, they averaged 112.5 points per game with significant offensive improvements but continue to struggle on defense, posting a defensive rating of 116 (24th in the NBA).
This season, the Knicks have so far swept the Raptors in their three-game series. They started with a narrow 113-108 victory on December 9 in Toronto, where Jalen Brunson scored 31 points. They followed this with a 139-125 win on December 23 at Madison Square Garden, despite significant contributions from former Knickerbockers RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. And last month, they beat Toronto 112-98, with OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns each scoring 27 points.
Toronto’s starting guards will be Quickley (15.5 PPG, 5.7 APG, 37% 3P%) and Gradey Dick (15.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 35% 3P%). Their frontcourt will feature Barrett (21.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.7 APG), Scottie Barnes (20.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 6.4 APG), and center Jakob Poeltl (14.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG). Reserves Bruce Brown and Chris Boucher are both game-time decisions.
Prediction:
ESPN.com predicts the Knicks will win at 52%. Second game of a back-to-back, travel, no OG Anunoby… yeah, that number makes sense. New York had to dig deep to dispatch the Rockets last night, and the recent Raptors appear to be improved. Tonight’s contest should be a competitive affair. Don’t panic if New York is trailing at halftime. They’ll pull it out in the fourth. Knicks by +6.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors
When: 7:30 pm EST, Tuesday, February 4, 2024
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Watch: MSG Networks, NBA TV
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky