The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors are set to go head-to-head in tonight’s matchup before their NBA Cup battle on December 9th. The Knicks are looking to extend their win streak to four straight games, while the Raptors look to get back on track after losing their nine-game win streak at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets. 

It’s the first time these two teams will be meeting against one another this regular season, making it another entertaining installment between the two sides. But first, it’s time to take a glance at the injury report, which has one big name missing out on the action. 

It shouldn’t be a surprise, but the Knicks are listing OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet as OUT before the game. Shamet is set to remain sidelined for the next month as he rehabs a right shoulder injury. Luckily for Shamet, he was seen in the team’s Friday night game against the Milwaukee Bucks without an arm sling, hinting the injury could provide quicker results than fans expected. 

OG Anunoby continues to remain sidelined, as it’s officially been two weeks since his hamstring strain. Good news for fans, Anunoby has been participating in three-on-three drills during practice, as the team slowly but surely expects a return to the court. Shockingly, New York has fared quite well without Anunoby, but sure could use him given their NBA cup matchup in a week. 

The Raptors are listing Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett as OUT, both of whom have had a massive impact on the team’s recent success. Poeltl will miss the second leg of a back-to-back for the Raptors, as they played an overtime contest against the Hornets on Saturday night. Barrett, on the other hand, will miss his fourth straight game in a row for the team, as he deals with a right knee injury. 

Barrett had been having quite a down season in stats across the board, but still provided the Raptors with a viable option on the offensive end. On the bright side, he was shooting a career-high 50.6% from the field. 

Both of these teams have been red-hot in the Eastern Conference, placing in the top four seeds while advancing to the quarter-finals of the NBA Cup. Given the Raptors won’t have Poeltl, the rebounding game could be quite a struggle throughout the night. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson is looking to continue his scoring streak, as his MVP candidacy has increased over his last seven games.