Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks 2/9/19: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds
Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks Preview
The Toronto Raptors travel to New York City for a clash against the lowly New York Knicks tonight as they hope to narrow the gap between them and the East-leading Milwaukee Bucks.
Both teams will be meeting for the second time this season, but they’ll be looking a bit different tonight after the trade deadline. Former Grizzlies center Marc Gasol could make his debut with the Raptors tonight, and the Knicks have already added Dennis Smith Jr. and DeAndre Jordan to their rotation, while Wesley Matthews and Enes Kanter were recently waived.
The Raptors are currently in second place in the East, two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks and are 40-16 on the season. They enter tonight’s game on a three-game winning streak and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Knicks are making no secret that they are in tank mode and currently have the worst record in the league at 10-44. They have also lost their last 15 consecutive games.
When the teams met back in November in Toronto, the Raptors won 128-112 and were led by Pascal Siakam with 23 points. Kawhi Leonard, who did not play in the last game, is expected to play tonight.
TV Schedule
Date: 02/09/19
Time: 7:30pm ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Channel: TSN, MSG
Toronto Raptors Preview Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Kyle Lowry |
| SG | Danny Green |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard |
| PF | Pascal Siakam |
| C | Serge Ibaka |
Raptors Analysis
The Toronto Raptors have bounced back from their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on January 31 by winning their last three straight over the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Atlanta Hawks.
Even without Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors had no problem getting past the Hawks, 119-101 on Thursday night. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet had what could be considered their best performances of the season. Siakam finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds, while VanVleet had 30 points and six assists.
Danny Green and Serge Ibaka pitched in 12 points apiece and Kyle Lowry had a near triple-double with 13 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds.
It’ll be interesting to see how Marc Gasol fits in with Toronto. Jonas Valanciunas, who had been injured all year and became expendable with Serge Ibaka’s play was sent over along with Delon Wright, C.J. Miles and a second round pick for the Spaniard. While Gasol is a huge addition and gives the Raptors some depth in the frontcourt, the Raptors definitely took a risk as well. Aside from Valanciunas, the Raptors will miss Miles. While his numbers may not jump off the page, he played well when he received decent minutes. He was also a good locker room player and was well-liked by his teammates, so chemistry takes a bit of a hit, but on the court, with Gasol in tow, the Raptors should make things very interesting in the East.
Raptors Quick Links: Raptors Starting Lineup, Raptors Roster, Raptors Depth Chart, Raptors Injuries, Raptors News, Raptors Schedule
New York Knicks Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Dennis Smith Jr. |
| SG | Damyean Dotson |
| SF | Lance Thomas |
| PF | Kevin Knox |
| C | Noah Vonleh |
Contents
Knicks Analysis
The Knicks are coming into tonight’s game after losing consecutive games to the Detroit Pistons. Last night, the Pistons dropped 41 on them in the first quarter and never really looked back on the way to a 103-120 loss for the Knicks.
While Knicks fans haven’t had much to be excited about lately, they are likely thrilled by their newest additions, even if they came in a trade that cost the Knicks Kristaps Porzingis.
Dennis Smith Jr. had 31 points and eight assists last night, and DeAndre Jordan had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. That pair of former Mavs teammates really carried the Knicks along with Damyean Dotson, who had 10 points. Mitchell Robinson had 11 points off the bench. But therein lies the problem for the Knicks. They don’t have enough consistent offense to compete with higher-scoring teams, and their defense allows way too many points the other way.
But at this point, Knicks coach David Fizdale has acknowledged that his team is looking to build through the draft at this point, which was why they waived Wesley Matthews and Enes Kanter, who both had more interest in playing for winning teams.
Knicks Quick Links: Knicks Starting Lineup, Knicks Roster, Knicks Depth Chart, Knicks Injuries, Knicks News, Knicks Schedule
Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks Betting Odds
The Raptors are heavy 12.5 point favorites to win tonight’s game on the road. Toronto is 18-11 on the road this season and 33-10 as the favorite. The Knicks are just 4-21 at home and 7-39 as the underdog.
The over/under is 216 points and the moneyline has Toronto at -1000 after opening at -900.
Odds & Line Movement Links: Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks, Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)
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DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks
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