7:30 p.m. on Friday in Toronto. EST
Toronto Raptors vs. the New York Knicks (21-18, sixth in the Eastern Conference) (16-22, 12th in the Eastern Conference).
VERDICT: With a victory over Toronto, New York hopes to continue its current three-game winning streak.
The Raptors’ conference record is 11–15. With 12.4 offensive rebounds per game, Toronto is fifth in the league, headed by Scottie Barnes’ 2.1 average.
When playing teams from the Atlantic Division, the Knicks are 1-4. New York has outscored opponents by 2.8 points per game while averaging 114.2 points per game.
TOP PERFORMERS: For the Raptors, Pascal Siakam averages 25.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. Over the last 10 games, Fred VanVleet has averaged 16.6 points and 5.2 assists for Toronto.
This season, the teams have already met twice. On Dec. 22, the Raptors triumphed 113-106 in the last meeting.
For the Knicks, Julius Randle averages 24.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. In his last 10 games, Jalen Brunson has averaged 17.2 points and 5.5 assists for New York.
Raptors: 3-7 during their previous 10 games, averaging 110.5 points, 40.8 rebounds, 21.7 assists, 8.1 steals, and 4.1 blocks while shooting 44.1% from the floor. Their rivals have scored 113.5 points each game on average.
The Knicks are 5-5 overall and average 113.9 points, 45.8 rebounds, 22.7 assists, 5.3 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. The average point total for their rivals is 108.3.
Knicks: RJ Barrett: out (finger).
Raptors Otto Porter Jr. is out with an injury (toe).
