Knicks Own Recent Series Edge as Raptors Try to End Home Skid

Toronto hosts New York on Sunday at Scotiabank Arena looking to end a home skid, and the central question is how much Toronto's injury list, especially Scottie Barnes, shapes a matchup that has gone the Knicks' way recently. The Raptors are 5-7 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, with three straight losses overall and three straight at home. The Knicks are 6-6 and sixth, coming off a 106-104 NBA Cup loss to the Pacers on Friday.

The head-to-head record is one-sided. New York won its three most recent regular-season meetings: 119-92 and 111-95 in Toronto, then 112-95 in New York. Those games are months old, so they say more about how this pairing has played out than about current rosters. The two preseason meetings in October split, with Toronto winning 148-98 and New York taking a 122-120 game, and exhibition results carry little weight.

Availability is where Toronto's problems sit. Barnes (groin) is currently out, though a Sportsnet.ca report describes him as questionable, so his status is not settled. Nate Bittle (foot) has been ruled out. Kawhi Leonard (knee) also remains out; a report says he is doing individual on-court work and progressing well, with no return date attached. Kevin McCullar Jr. is day-to-day after signing a two-way contract Thursday. New York has no injuries reported, so the absence gap runs in one direction.

Toronto's recent form is mixed. The Raptors lost 123-112 to the 76ers on Thursday and 98-93 to the Celtics on Wednesday, the latter after Boston overcame a 22-point deficit. That points to a team capable of building big leads but struggling to close, though two games is a thin basis for a trend. The Celtics loss was decided late, while the 76ers game was not as tight.

New York's loss carries its own questions. Josh Hart was held scoreless and benched for the fourth quarter against Indiana, and said he is "not in a good headspace." One player's mood is context, not a measurable edge. The Knicks have also gone under the total in three straight road games, a descriptive run rather than a forecast, and the loss to Indiana was a tight one.

Taken together, the evidence points mostly toward New York: three straight regular-season wins in this series, a clean injury report and a Toronto team on a three-game home slide. Pulling the other way are Toronto's home court, the unresolved Barnes report and the Knicks' own Friday loss. The records are close, 5-7 against 6-6, and the series results are months old, so this is a modest tilt in the evidence rather than a clear gap. The Barnes situation is the piece most likely to change that picture before tip.