There are only two games on the NBA schedule tonight, and both are Emirates Cup Quarterfinal contests. First up, the Miami Heat will square up with the Magicians in Orlando. Then the New York Knicks (16-7) will head north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors (15-10) and a couple of old friends. Both games will be streamed on Amazon Prime. I hear you groaning in the back.
New York has already eliminated Giannis and the defending Cup champion Milwaukee Bucks. A win tonight sends the winner to Las
Vegas for the semifinals; a loss will end their Cup run and bring about a divine punishment of pestilence in their home country. No pressure.
The Raptors were rolling until RJ Barrett injured his knee eight games ago. They’ve lost five of their last six outings and the surprise upstarts of the East look decidedly less so. Also not in their favor: Toronto hasn’t fared well against the Knicks, who have beaten them nine straight times. Extending that streak in this knockout round would further solidify New York’s reputation as a top team in the conference. Make it 10, fellas.
Already the Knicks lead the season series 1-0, after beating the Dinos nine days ago, 116-94. New York exploded out of the gates with a 41–22 first quarter, then maintained a comfy double-digit advantage the rest of the way, partly by hammering Toronto on the glass, 66–49.
Tonight, New York will be thin in the backcourt and off the bench, with Miles McBride sidelined by a sprained left ankle and Landry Shamet out indefinitely; and they’re potentially thin in the front court, too, with Karl-Anthony Towns listed as a game-time-decision due to a calf strain. This would be a (Amazon) prime time for Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, and Guerschon Yabusele to step up on the second unit, and for Ariel Hukporti to capitalize on the positive momentum of his last game.
For the foreigners, Barrett, Jamison Battle (ankle), and Jamal Shead (quad) are all GTDs. It sure seems likely that Barrett (and Towns, for that matter) will want to at least try to play, given the moolah each team stands to make in Cup play.
Toronto distributes the ball well and is fourth in the league for assists per game, led by our old pal, Immanuel Quickley. He’s making 6.2 dimes, 16.5 points, and a cool $32.5 mil this season, while shooting 47% FG and 38% 3PT. Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes remain the top point-getters, averaging 21.2 and 20 respectively. And Jakob Poeltl rounds out the starting line-up at center.
Prediction
Ah-mur-i-cah! ESPN.com likes the Knicks to win at 60%. We like that, too. Toronto doesn’t take a lot of three-pointers, and they tried only 37 (making 30%) when these teams last clashed. If Barrett returns, bringing back his 19 points, five boards and four dimes per game, this Canadian Club is a much more dangerous opponent. They’ll be even harder to handle if KAT’s calf isn’t up to the challenge.
By tip off, we expect the GTDs to suit up and, thus, make it a more competitive affair than that butt-whooping on November 30. The Knicks shoot the three-ball great at home (39%) but not so much on the road (35%). If the shooting is cold to start, this could become a slugfest defined by the rebounding numbers. Either way, New York is the better team, even without Towns. They’ll prove it with a 118-110 win.
Game Details
Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Time: 8:30 PM ET
Place: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Canada
TV: Amazon Prime Video
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
