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Knicks-Raptors Preview

Mar 4, 2010 - 6:46 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

New York (21-39) at Toronto (31-28), 7:00 p.m. EDT

After watching from home as the Toronto Raptors lost their fourth straight, Chris Bosh is eager to get back on the court and help his team create a little more breathing room in the Eastern Conference standings.

Bosh is expected to return Friday night as the Raptors go for their third win over the New York Knicks in as many tries this season.

With their star forward sidelined six games by a sprained left ankle, Toronto (31-28) struggled defensively, allowing opponents to average 113.2 points over the last five games and losing the last four. Bosh is expected to play Friday for the first time since Feb. 17.

Before Bosh got hurt, the Raptors had won eight of 10. He didn't make the trip to Houston on Monday as Toronto lost 116-92, and now he returns with the team only three games ahead of ninth-place Charlotte in the East.

"We have 23 games left," Bosh said. "You lose two or three in a row and you're on the outside looking in. ... It's going to be a photo finish at the end and every game is important now. This is the part of the season I've been waiting on."

Bosh, averaging team highs of 24.5 points and 11.4 rebounds, insists he is not rushing back too early and that the injury is 100 percent healed.

"My ankle is feeling really good," Bosh said. "I've been working on conditioning every day trying to get that back ... (We need) to put those two weeks behind us and improve on our defense."

Bosh's return is certainly an unwelcome sight for the Knicks. He finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds in a 106-104 win at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28 in the most recent meeting. Bosh has averaged 23.4 points in his last 20 matchups with New York and the Raptors have gone 15-5.

The Knicks (21-39) are coming off their second win in 12 games, 128-104 over Detroit on Wednesday. They shot 55.3 percent and had four players score at least 20 points.

Bill Walker, who made his first career start in place of Wilson Chandler (personal reasons), had a career-high 22 points while Al Harrington went 6 of 8 from 3-point range and scored 26.

Harrington is averaging 28.0 points in the last four games while shooting 57.1 percent (20 of 35) from 3-point range.

The Knicks also received a solid performance from Tracy McGrady, who had 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in his seventh game with his new team. Still making his way back from knee surgery, McGrady scored six points combined in his previous two games.

"Today was one of those days where I actually felt like my old self as far as my movements and my timing and everything, my rhythm," McGrady said. "I felt like I had another step."

New York, allowing an average of 113.0 points on 50.9 percent shooting over the last 12 games, is looking to win back-to-back contests for the first time since a three-game winning streak Jan. 1-7.