After a heartbreaking loss on Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors are back in action on Friday when they host the New York Knicks.
On Wednesday, a shorthanded Raptors squad outscored the Oklahoma City Thunder 26-13 over the last six minutes of regulation but fell one point short as the potential game-winning putback from undrafted rookie Justin Champagnie came a tenth of a second too late.
TAKEAWAYS: Raptors comeback falls short against Thunder
With Precious Achiuwa, OG Anunoby and Khem Birch out due to injury, the Raptors started Chris Boucher at center, while Champagnie was among three bench players to log 12 or more minutes of action. Stepping up for the Raptors was Gary Trent Jr., who scored a team-high 24 points on 58.8 percent shooting, while Pascal Siakam finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists while shooting 66.7 percent from the field.
Despite shooting 6-for-20 from the field, Fred VanVleet finished with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. VanVleet filled the stat sheet, but that's the type of shooting night he'll look to bounce back from.
In the first meeting of the season between these two teams, Anunoby led the Raptors to an impressive victory with a career performance in the absence of Siakam and rookie Scottie Barnes. Now, it's Anunoby who is out and the duo of Barnes and Siakam that will need to step up against the Knicks.
Availability is something to keep an eye on Friday, as the Raptors cancelled Thursday's practice "out of an abundance of caution," with respect to the league's health and safety protocols.
On the other side, much has changed for New York since these two teams last met. First off, five-time All-Star Kemba Walker is no longer in the team's rotation.
In the Knicks' last outing — a 20-point loss to the Indiana Pacers — Alec Burks manned responsibilities as the starting point guard, with Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley coming off the bench to assume ballhandling responsibilities.
MORE: Is Burks the answer for New York?
If there was any consolation to being on the wrong end of a blowout, it was second-year forward Obi Toppin doing something you rarely see in an NBA game, if ever.
Still have this on repeat.
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 9, 2021
All angles w/ @obitoppin1 📼 pic.twitter.com/6CqJ0Lwt5e
Julius Randle enters Toronto looking to bounce back from a 6-for-18 shooting performance against the Pacers while it's a homecoming for RJ Barrett, who is taking the floor in his hometown for just the second time in his NBA career.
Who will get back on track Friday?
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What channel is Raptors vs. Knicks on?
- TV channel: TSN 1/4/5 and RDS (Canada), MSG or League Pass (United States)
- Radio: SN 590
What times does Raptors vs. Knicks start?
- Date: Friday, Dec. 10
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. PT
Raptors vs. Knicks injury report
| Team | Player | Status | Reason |
| Raptors | Not Yet Submitted | ||
| Knicks | Not Yet Submitted |
Raptors next five games
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | Location |
| Dec. 13 | vs. Kings | 7:00 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Dec. 14 | at Nets | 7:30 p.m. | Barclays Center |
| Dec. 16 | vs. Bulls | 7:30 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Dec. 18 | vs. Warriors | 7:30 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
| Dec. 20 | vs. Magic | 7:30 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena |
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