Game Thread: Toronto Raptors @ New York Knicks

The Raptors are getting some... good news tonight? Yes! For one, Khem Birch is officially on the team now and seems legit excited to round out these final 19 games with the 21-32 Raptors, who currently sit in 11th place. For two, Kyle Lowry has been upgraded from out, to questionable, to probable, to available, to, yes, the starting lineup. Against the New York Knicks, at 26-27, it’s no small thing to have your best players at hand.

Third, as expected, Pascal Siakam will be back on the court tonight after a much deserved night off. His frontcourt partner OG Anunoby will be resting tonight, so we’ll have to see what wrinkle coach Nick Nurse can introduce to his lineups to make up for that particular deficit. If nothing else, this could be the first time we ever see an all-Montreal frontcourt in the NBA.

The Knicks, meanwhile, are not necessarily a joke anymore. RJ Barrett and Julius Randle have come into their own, there are a few pros off the bench, and coach Tom Thibodeau can still motivate them to get the job done. In other words, it’ll be a good test for the newly optimistic Raptors (and Toronto fans everywhere).

Here’s the preview from this morning from Satbir. Below are the updated game details. Now, let’s watch.

Where to Watch:

Sportsnet at 8pm EST

Lineups:

Toronto – Kyle Lowry, Gary Trent Jr., DeAndre’ Bembry, Pascal Siakam, Chris Boucher

New York – Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel

Injuries:

Toronto – OG Anunoby (rest – out), Fred VanVleet (hip – out), Jalen Harris (hip – out), Paul Watson (COVID-19 protocols – out)

New York – Mitchell Robinson (foot – out), John Henson (calf – out)