Toronto Raptors vs New York Knicks: Not the reunion we were hoping for

Surely a lot of people had tonight’s game between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks circled on the calendar... but unfortunately it will not be the reunion fans were hoping for.

This is the first time the Knicks have been to Toronto since the trade that sent O.G. Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to New York in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second round draft pick.

Due to injuries and other circumstances, only one player from this trade will be available to play tonight.

First off, Malachi Flynn doesn’t play for the Knicks anymore, they traded him at the deadline. O.G. Anunoby has been having some elbow issues and ultimately opted for surgery, so he’s currently out of the lineup and didn’t make the trip to Toronto.

Then on the Raptors side, both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have missed significant time this month, both spending time away from the team for bereavement.

They are both back with the team now, but are in undergoing back to competition conditioning and will not play tonight.

That leaves Precious Achiuwa, who will probably get a good reception from fans tonight as he returns to Toronto for the first time.

Both team have sort of been caught by the injury bug this month, but are in wildly different places to end the season. As we know, the Raptors aren’t exactly gunning for a postseason run, having lost 11 games in a row amid injuries, absences, and legal investigations.

The Knicks on the other hand are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference and desperately trying to hold on to the home court advantage staying there would allow. They sit one game ahead of the Orlando Magic in fifth.

For one team, it will be an attempt to avoid a 12-game skid, and for the other, an important seeding game that they will be motivated to win... should be fun for Toronto. Also, Precious Achiuwa as been on one since he moved to the Big Apple, so maybe a revenge game is cooking.

Regardless, it’s nice to see both Quickley and Barrett returning to the lineup. In a trade that ultimately worked out for both sides, the Raptors return was their best of every trade that went down this season. Both Barrett and Quickley are poised to be a part of this core going forward and fit into the team seamlessly. It also helps that both are thriving in their roles on the team.

It seems that way on the other side as well. Despite being out with injury on and off, Anunoby is getting the recognition he deserves in a bigger market, and will hopefully have a good postseason run. Achiuwa seems to be finally hitting a stride with a consistent role as well.

Although not the game we were expecting, it should be a fun game to watch. The Knicks have made drastic improvements over the past few seasons are are anticipating a fun playoff run.

Hopefully next season Anunoby will get the fanfare he deserves upon his official return to Toronto.

Game Details:

How to Watch: 7:30pm Sportsnet

Lineups:

Toronto: Gary Trent Jr., Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk, Javon Freeman-Liberty

New York: Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Hartenstein, Miles McBride, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo

Injuries:

Toronto: Scottie Barnes — OUT (hand), Jakob Poeltl — OUT (hand), RJ Barrett — OUT (conditioning), Immanuel Quickley — OUT (conditioning), Chris Boucher — OUT (knee), DJ Carton — OUT (ankle), Jontay Porter — OUT (personal)

New York: O.G. Anunoby — OUT (elbow), Julius Randle — OUT (shoulder), Mitchell Robinson — QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Alec Burks — QUESTIONABLE (shoulder)