Who's Playing
Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs New York Knicks
Records: Raptors (49-21), Knicks (14-56)
Where to Watch
Date: Monday, March 18, 2019Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: TSN & RDS2
Radio: TSN 1050
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Game Preview
What's the best way to cure the feeling of being on the wrong end of a season sweep at the hands of your former coach and his new team? Hosting one of the league's worst teams in the New York Knicks.
Despite another close loss to the Pistons, there were some positives to take away from Sunday's game. The return of Fred VanVleet came at the right time and he didn't look as though he missed a beat. VanVleet finished with 17 points, shooting 4-for-5 from three in the game.
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With Lowry questionable and Jeremy Lin still trying to find his way with his new team, VanVleet's return couldn't have come at a better time to help stabilize the backcourt.
Kawhi Leonard will sit out Monday night's game as he continues to manage his load in the regular season.
The Knicks are coming off their biggest win of the season, a down-to-the-wire affair with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The win put an end to an eight-game losing streak. With New York already eliminated from playoff contention, it's all about the future. Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier are three young studs that may be a torn in the Raptors' side in the future.
A win on Monday would give Toronto its fourth straight 50-win season.
Game Notes
- Since the 2015-16 campaign, the Raptors have the third-best record overall in the NBA and the best in the Eastern Conference - Golden State 245-69 (.780), San Antonio 216-100 (.684) and Toronto 215-101 (.680).
- Raptors haven't used the same starting five in consecutive games since February 9 and 11. Toronto’s 12-game streak of using a different starting lineup than it did in its previous game is the longest by any NBA team this season and the longest in franchise history.
- New York's win vs. the Lakers helped them improve to 121-167 all-time record, including 70-61 at MSG
- New York swept the Lakers for the first time since the 2015-16 season
Last Time They Played
Date: Feb 9, 2019
Score: Raptors 104, Knicks 99
Raptors: Kyle Lowry — 22 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Knicks: Kevin Knox — 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals