New York KNICKS play the Toronto Raptors Watch FREE: Live Streaming Online NBA Game Tonight From Air Canada Centre at 8:00 PM ET
The Raptors can clinch the second Atlantic Division crown in team history Friday night by handing the visiting Knicks a third straight defeat.
Toronto's first division title came in 2006-07 when it won a franchise-best 47 games. The Raptors (46-32) cut their magic number to one Wednesday with a fourth straight win, 125-114 over Philadelphia, along with second-place Brooklyn's loss in Orlando.
The teams favored to win the Atlantic before the season figured to be the Nets and the Knicks (33-45), who captured the division in 2012-13.
New York is two games behind Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the East. The Knicks will have had four days off, which should be good news for Anthony.
The star forward has totaled 23 points on 29.0 percent shooting while playing with a sore right shoulder in back-to-back defeats, during which his woes were evident.
Anthony had a season-high nine turnovers in a 90-89 loss to Washington last Friday. He didn't attempt a shot in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 102-91 defeat in Miami.
Coach Mike Woodson expects Anthony to start Friday.
"Only 'Melo knows the severity of his pain," Woodson said. "All I can do is try to put him in the best position possible and if he tells me he's hurt and he can't play then it's my job to sit him. But I don't know if he will ever tell me that."
Toronto defeated New York twice by a total of 27 points Dec. 28 and 29 in the two meetings so far this season. Anthony missed both with a sprained right ankle.
These teams close the season Wednesday in New York. The Knicks are hoping that contest will have meaning.
"I gotta get this team into the playoffs, that's what my focus is," Woodson said.
The game will be live streamed free on www.nbalivestreamfree.net
