Toronto Raptors are in for a big battle at the hoop and at the arc against the knicks tonight

The Raptors are going to face the New York Knicks @ 7:30 @ MSG and the Knicks and Raptors are the same on defense given up the same 96.75 points against in their first two games but the Knicks have scored 2 more points a game. The Raptors after falling apart in Dallas given the Mavs their own win in their first 5 games including getting destroyed by the Timberwolves by double digits last night and the Raptors let the Magic have a 20-2 run in the fourth quarter and they went onto shoot over 70% from the floor in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks (2-2) are shooting 41.3 from the floor but allowing opponents to shoot 45.5% while opponents are getting the better of them on the glass 44.8 to 34.3 and the knicks have everything going through Carmelo Anthony who is putting up 25 points a game and he is living at the line going 40 of 47 which means he has had 12 opportunities in each of their first 4 games and so is Tyson Chandler who has scored 26 of his 44 points from the line as well. Amar'e Stoudemire is also averaging 17.3 points a game with 15-20 from the line as the knicks are averaging 31.75 free throws a game this season and are getting 25.75 points a game from the line. While a couple of Knicks are living beyond the arc as Anthony has put up 18 3's and hitting 6 and Toney Douglas has put up 21 3's and hit 3 as the Knicks are 29 of 91 from three.

So the Raptors will need to protect the 3-point arc and not send the knicks constantly to the line and the Raptors need to put ED Davis in the starting lineup instead of Rasual Butler who has not been very good in the starting lineup so switching them around maybe better for both. The Raptors need to play the kind of defense in the fourth quarter that they play in the first three quarters and they will need to get support for Andrea who is averaging 23 points a game and it should be DeMar DeRozan who is getting a lot of his points in the fourth quarter and need to put a better effort in the first three quarters of the game. Jamaal Magloire should put a body on Amar'e Stoudemire as he will be the big body under the basket as well as Tyson Chandler and if he can keep himself out of foul trouble he will be an important part of the Raptors defense especially with him look like a brand new player after not playing a lot the best two seasons with the Heat and Jose Calderon will need to keep the ball moving to help find the open shots and get to the basket to get the Knicks in foul trouble.