Sunday's reserves-only lineup got buried by 50 in Toronto, and five days out from the opener, Mike Brown needs to see what his real team looks like. Tonight's rematch with the Raptors is the answer, with Brunson, Towns, Hart, Anunoby and Bridges all listed to return.
The Rematch
Five players who sat out Sunday's loss are now cleared to return: Brunson, Towns, Hart, Anunoby and Bridges, each marked day-to-day with an expected return of October 15. That's tonight, against the same Raptors team that just put up 148 on their own floor. Brown finally gets his real lineup on the court, five days before games start counting.
Sunday's Wreckage
The scoreboard read 98-148. James Wiseman led New York with 18 points, 10 rebounds; Mohamed Diawara added 13. The New York Post reported the starters didn't play at all, leaving the reserves to take the beating in a preseason game that still stung at 50 down.
Towns Still Frozen
The Knicks paused Karl-Anthony Towns' extension talks on October 9, and he called the move disappointing. Josh Hart reacted the next day; neither side has said anything since. The silence sits over a center spot already crowded, with James Wiseman, Andre Drummond and Tony Bradley all behind Towns on the depth chart.
Five Days To Tip
New York opens the regular season October 20 against the 76ers, then goes to Boston on October 23 and hosts Orlando on October 25. Tonight's game against Toronto is the last tune-up before any of it counts.
Bottom Line
Three preseason losses are noise if the vital five show up healthy tonight. If they don't, the real worry isn't the score — it's whether the roster is ready for Philadelphia in five days.
Will Jalen Brunson and the Knicks' starters play against the Raptors tonight?
Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are all listed day-to-day with an expected return of October 15, which points to all five being back for tonight's rematch.
What happened the last time the Knicks played the Raptors?
New York lost 98-148 in Toronto on October 13 with its starters held out entirely; James Wiseman led the Knicks with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
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