Raptors at Knicks
THE STORY: New York's offense is coming together at the right time as the Knicks prepare to host the woeful Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. The Knicks are averaging nearly 119 points per game during a three-game winning streak that has returned them to the .500 mark while keeping them in the hunt for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are counting down the days to the end of the season, though they're coming off an impressive win over the Orlando Magic.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN2, MSG
ABOUT THE KNICKS (38-38): Much has been made of the ups and downs New York has endured since acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. But even the most skeptical Knicks fan had to take some satisfaction in Sunday's playoff-clinching 123-107 triumph over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers. Amar'e Stoudemire (28), Anthony (25) and Chauncey Billups (23) combined for 76 points as New York secured its first playoff berth since 2004. Stoudemire, Billups and Anthony may not be able to match the Miami Heat's vaunted Big Three, but the Knicks will still present serious problems for whichever team they face in the first round of the playoffs.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (21-55): The Raptors may be preparing for yet another trip to the NBA draft lottery, but the team showed it's still capable of producing an occasional solid effort. The latest came Sunday night, when Toronto stunned the Magic 102-98 to halt a six-game losing skid. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 24 points while Jerryd Bayless added 23 as the Raptors roared back from a six-point fourth-quarter deficit. With point guard Jose Calderon and center Andrea Bargnani nursing injuries, Toronto has opted to go with a young starting lineup in an attempt to get its more inexperienced players some valuable court time.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Anthony has scored 25 or more points in five straight games, including back-to-back 39-point, 10-rebound performances against Orlando and New Jersey. DeRozan has emerged as Toronto's go-to guy on offense, averaging 19.2 points in 20 games since the All-Star break.
KEY STATISTIC: .352 – New York's winning percentage between the start of the 2004-05 season and the end of the 2009-10 campaign, the second-worst mark in the league over that span. Only the Minnesota Timberwolves won fewer games.
SEASON SERIES: New York has prevailed in all three meetings this season, though two of the games were decided by five points or fewer. That includes their last encounter Dec. 18, when Stoudemire scored 34 points and the Knicks overcame 41 from Bargnani to win 113-110.
KEY INJURIES: NEW YORK: C Ronny Turiaf (ankle). TORONTO: G Jose Calderon (hamstring); C Andrea Bargnani (ankle); F Linas Kleiza (knee).
FINAL WORD: “Anything that goes on in New York is everywhere,” Billups said Monday. “So I followed that, man, and it was, it was kind of unpleasant to see that.”