Don’t fear, Canadian friends! The Knicks (39*-22) are in your country to face the Raptors (35-25), not to start a war. Unless they lose. Then maybe Canada becomes an existential threat.
This tilt features two top-five Eastern Conference teams, with New York third and Toronto fifth. Both have won six of their last 10 games. When they last met, on January 28, New York whomped Toronto, 119–92, behind a blistering 30 points from Mikal Bridges. OG Anunoby added 26 points and a season-high six steals, while
Josh Hart matched a season-high with 22 points. For the Dinos, Brandon Ingram led with 27 points, Scottie Barnes posted 17 points and 10 rebounds, and our old pal RJ Barrett chipped in 14.
The Toronto Raptors beat the Wizards, 134 to 125, on Saturday thanks to 27 points and 11 assists from Immanuel Quickley. In a Sunday matinee, the Knicks beat the Spurs, 114–89, behind 25 points from Mikal Bridges. Jalen Brunson scored 24 with seven assists, and Josh Hart chipped in a 10-10 double-double. Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 25 points and 13 boards.
The Raptors post a 114.9 offensive rating, 16th in the league. Their defensive rating is 112.9, seventh overall. They score 114 points per game, ranking 22nd, and surrender 112, eighth in the league. They don’t take a ton of threes – 33 per game – maybe because they shoot 35%. Don’t be fooled by their 35 wins; most of those came against the league’s weaker teams.
That sleepy All-Star Ingram averages 22 PPG and shoots 37% for Toronto, while fellow All-Star Barnes puts up 19 PPG and grabs 8 RPG. As for the OAKAAKs, Barrett can be counted on for 18 PPG, and Quickley logs almost 18 points per game and 6 APG, shooting 38% from yard. Sandro (never forget) Mamukelashvili averages 11 PPG and grabs five boards.
The Raptors’ likely starting five will be Quickley, Ingram, Barrett, Barnes, andJakob Poeltl (9.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG). The game’s injury report says you won’t see Miles McBride, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Mr. Chucky Hepburn. And we thought the only Chucky in the league was Cam Thomas.
THIS DATE IN KNICKS HISTORY: On March 3, 1967, Walt Bellamy logged a triple-double, recording 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in a 138-132 loss to the Lakers in L.A. The following year, the Hall-of-Famer was traded with Howard Komives to the Detroit Pistons for Dave DeBusschere.
Prediction
ESPN gives the Knicks a 56% chance to win. As they should. The Knicks hold a better record and lead the five-game season series, 3-0. Their frontcourt might be thin, though; Mitchell Robinson is likely to sit, given that he’ll be needed tomorrow at home against the Thunder.
Which raises a good point: since our heroes will have to zip back across the border and face OKC in approximately 24 hours, how much effort should they exert tonight, in a possible playoff preview? Conventional wisdom suggests they should pace themselves, which could result in a tighter game. Plus, Quickley loves to shoot three-pointers against the Knicks, making 11-of-25 in five career games against his old team. When they met in January, Quick stunk and posted seven points on nine shots in almost 30 minutes. He’ll do better tonight. Although the Knicks have beaten the Raptors 11 straight times, winning number 12 might not be so easy. New York takes this one by three.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (39*-22) at Toronto Raptors (35-25)
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: ScotiaBank Arena, Toronto, CA
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but NBA Cup wins, like love, are evanescent stuff.
