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Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks
Records: Raptors (11-1); Knicks (4-8)
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Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are coming off a four-game road stint, going 4-0 on a West Coast road trip for the first time in franchise history. They're an NBA-best 11-1 and it seems like they can do no wrong.
In the two games they played without Kawhi Leonard, who was resting a sore ankle, they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by a final score of 121-107 and then beat the Utah Jazz by double figures.
When Leonard returned to play against a surging Sacramento Kings team, he scored 25 points to go with 11 rebounds, two assists and a 114-105 victory.
MORE: The toughest stretches for the Raptors this season
The play of Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam has been the constant that keeps the Raptors going. Lowry has been tremendous in running the offence, dishing out a league-best 11.3 assists per game. Ibaka continued his great play throughout the road trip, averaging 19.8 points per game and shooting an absurd 74.5 percent from the field through the four games.
Siakam was a player that was expected to take his game to the next level this season and he's stepped up to that task so far, averaging 12.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists - all career-highs.
The Raptors went 3-1 against the Knicks last season.
New York Knicks
Despite what the record shows, the Knicks' young talent has shown some promise this season.
While they have only four wins to show for it, you can't look past how some of these guys have played. They are coming off of a 112-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks on a 34-point effort from Tim Hardaway Jr.
Hardaway Jr. has been pouring it in for the Knicks all season, averaging 24.3 points per game, placing him in the top-15 in the league in scoring.
They've also received valuable minutes from big man Enes Kanter. Kanter is a walking double-double, averaging 15.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, reaching said feat in eight of the Knicks' 12 games.
New York's first-round pick Kevin Knox suffered an ankle injury in his third game but is slowly working his way back. He's played in the last two contests for the Knicks but has not logged more than 10 minutes yet.
The Knicks even have an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract that has already made a name for himself. Allonzo Trier is averaging 11.9 points per game off the bench, and he's been a joy to watch in isolation situations. He's reached double-digit points in five of the Knicks' last six games and seems to have found himself a regular role in their rotation.
Last time they played
Date: March 11, 2018
Score: Toronto Raptors 134, New York Knicks 106
Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas - 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists
Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. - 25 points, four rebounds, two assists
Where to watch
Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
TV: SN1
Radio: SN 590
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON