Knicks at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have dropped four of their last seven games to fall off the pace in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they can look forward to a rather favorable stretch run. A day after falling on the road to red-hot Detroit, the Raptors look to pick up the pieces at home against the last-place New York Knicks on Monday.
The contest begins a 12-game closing stretch during which Toronto, which is three games behind first-place Milwaukee in the East, plays only three times against teams that entered Sunday over .500 - twice against slumping Oklahoma City and once versus Brooklyn. The Knicks usually are easy pickings but will be coming in on a bit of a high after posting a dramatic 124-123 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Mario Hezonja, playing for the first time in over a month, blocked a potential game-winning shot by LeBron James in the closing moments as New York snapped its eight-game slide. "To beat a great player, sometimes you've got to do the unexpected and you've got to make big plays," Knicks coach David Fizdale told reporters, "because you know that they're gearing up to make a big play."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), TSN, RDS2 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (14-56): New York trailed by 11 points with under four minutes remaining on Sunday before locking down on the defensive end and eventually pulling ahead on two late free throws by Emmanuel Mudiay, who scored a team-high 28 points. DeAndre Jordan ignited the closing push with a dunk and finished with 15 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists. Damyean Dotson added 25 points, his third 20-point effort in the last four games.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (49-21): Toronto was without starter Kyle Lowry (ankle) on Sunday for the second straight game, but the team received a boost in the return of fellow point guard Fred VanVleet, who scored 17 points after missing the previous 12 contests with a wrist injury. "I think there's a lot to be happy about," coach Nick Nurse told reporters. "Freddy was, obviously, really good, and we can plug him back into our first unit. We just have to find someone to step up on the second unit." Kawhi Leonard recorded 33 points in the loss but is expected to sit on Monday as he has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back set this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jordan, who averages less than one assist for his career, has handed out 21 over his last three games.
2. Raptors F/C Serge Ibaka will finish serving his three-game suspension on Monday.
3. Toronto has won six straight home meetings with New York, including a 128-112 decision on Nov. 10.