Game Day: Knicks vs. Raptors, 4/24/21

The Knicks face their second repeat customer during their current eight-game win streak, the Raptors team that they beat to secure their second straight. Will the Knicks’ hot 3-point shooting get them another W over Toronto, or will the Raptors — hot in their own right — come to MSG and spoil the party?

I keep saying games are trap games along this eight-game win streak, but today’s is truly a trap game.

A Saturday matinee, against a division rival who the Knicks beat last time (win No. 2 on the streak, as a matter of fact), a team that’s on its own four-game win streak and just defeated the Nets three nights ago (meaning they’re just as rested as the Knicks are). Still, the Raptors have been bad, and that’s exactly why we’d all probably think the Knicks can and should win this game.

But it’s not always that easy. The Raptors see an opening to make the play-in games, and even with their struggles, they’re a team with championship pedigree. The Knicks will need to continue their recent streak of not losing focus and playing a full 48 minutes of basketball, because Toronto is a team that will make you pay if you don’t.

The Raptors don’t have any terribly significant injuries to report — Chris Boucher is out, and Rodney Hood is a game time decision. The Knicks just have Mitchell Robinson and Alec Burks out yet again.

The last time these two faced off, it was a well-rounded effort from the Knicks that got it done. Julius led the way with 26 points, but four other Knicks scored in double figures.

It’s also worth remembering that the Knicks just could. not. hit. a. 3-point. shot. in the last game, shooting 9-35 (25.7%) as a team. During this eight-game streak, the Knicks are shooting 40.5% from three overall, including that stinker against Toronto for the second win of the streak. If you narrow it down to just the last five games, they’re shooting a positively insane 46.5% from three. To put that in perspective, that’s almost five points higher than the league-leading Clippers have shot for the season (41.9%).

(The Knicks are now fifth in the NBA in 3-point percentage, by the way, at 38.3% over the entire season.)

So, can Randle stay hot against a team with two guys pretty well-equipped to stop him (Pascal Siakam and Khem Birch)? Can RJ Barrett put on another great performance against his hometown team to follow up his 19-point, five-assist effort last time around? Will Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose continue their red-hot play off the bench?

My inclination would be “no, this team needs to fall back to Earth at some point,” but they’ve just continued to prove me wrong over and over again.

Game starts at 1 PM on MSG. Come hang with us on Twitter (or get some convo going in the comments if you want).