Knicks, Raptors bring positive momentum into first meeting
TORONTO -- The New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors will meet for the first time this season on Friday night, each coming off uplifting, comeback victories on Wednesday.
The Knicks (8-6) defeated the Utah Jazz 106-101 after trailing by as many as 12 points in the third quarter. It was the third time in eight days, the Knicks rallied from a double-digit deficit to win and they are 7-3 in their last 10 games after dropping their first three games.
The Raptors (9-5) trailed the New Orleans Jazz by 14 points in the first quarter before coming back for a 125-116 victory after defeating the Houston Rockets on Tuesday to go 2-1 on a three-game road trip.
Both were significant victories, but the game Wednesday was particularly important for the Knicks to respond after blowing a 23-point lead in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Both games were at home. The Knicks will play only their second game on the road this month when they visit the Air Canada Centre.
Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. teamed up to lead the fourth-quarter surge for the Knicks.
"We knew it was a must-win for us (Wednesday) to protect our home court, especially after a tough loss like that," said Porzingis, who scored 22 points against the Jazz. "We had to forget about that game (against the Cavaliers). This was a new game and we got it done."
The Toronto offense has been hot, scoring 129 points against Houston on Tuesday before falling four points shy of that to complete a challenging back-to-back set in New Orleans.
"I think we're making shots and getting shots that we want," said Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who had 22 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists against the Pelicans. "I think everyone is confident in taking the shots we work on. Everybody has been consistently working on his game. Coaches are preaching when you've got open looks take them and be aggressive in all the things that you do."
C.J. Miles, signed in the offseason for his ability to make 3-pointers, has been doing just what was expected of him, going 5 of 9 from behind the arc Wednesday after going 6 of 9 against Houston.
"The guys are looking for me for one thing," Miles said. "We are doing a lot of things and moving the ball and because guys are being assertive in what they do it's allowing me to find gaps and spaces and guys can't just stay hugged up.
"At the same time, I have been watching a lot of film just seeing how I can stay active and not kind of get buried in the corners or not standing still or waiting for plays to be called because when plays are called it's really hard to get open."
The Knicks are getting some valuable play from rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, who scored five of his seven points Wednesday in the fourth quarter.
"We have great confidence in him defensively," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. "It's great that a young guy comes into this league with more defensive principles than the offensive principles.
"He's going to grow and get better and better at the offensive side of it. It's hard to teach the other way. He does a great job. He's got long arms. Late in the game (Utah) tried to throw the ball in the corner. He didn't get sucked in. He kind of split guys and had those long arms out."
The Raptors will be without Delon Wright on Friday. He left the game Wednesday in the second quarter with a dislocated right shoulder. He was examined Thursday and the team was awaiting test results.
Toronto's Norman Powell did not play Tuesday or Wednesday after leaving the loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday with a right hip pointer. He is day to day.
New York's Joakim Noah was inactive for the second straight game Wednesday since his reinstatement from a 20-game performance-enhancing drug suspension and it is not certain when he will return to the rotation.
