Bargnani breaks out ahead of Raptors game; Knicks 'know he's capable of doing this'

#TakeThatMasaiUjiri

If they're being honest, Toronto Raptors fans are at least a little worried about visiting Andrea Bargnani and the New York Knicks on Saturday.

While the Knicks - and Bargnani in particular - have become a laughingstock this season, the Raptors enter the game on a four-game losing streak, having played some of their worst ball of the season over the past week. The Knicks, meanwhile, won a double-overtime thriller on Friday to snap an eight-game losing streak, their first win of the season without Carmelo Anthony.

Not to say a single victory changes anything in Gotham, but Bargnani's performance of late has at least been encouraging. He scored 25 points with 12 rebounds and four assists on Friday and has averaged 15 points and 6.8 rebounds in 26.2 minutes over his last five games.

"(Bargnani is) continuing to shake off the rust," head coach Derek Fisher, who is hilariously excited by the 29-year-old's potential, said. "We all know he's capable of doing this."

Bargnani has had hot stretches before, even a borderline All-Star season once, and he's going to get ample opportunity to score on a thin Knicks' team.

The Raptors' season has included a plethora of middling former Raptors lighting them up - D.J. Augustin, Jarrett Jack, Alan Anderson and Alexis Ajinca have all gone off - so a Bargnani explosion wouldn't be out of the ordinary. In this two previous games against the team that took him No. 1 overall in 2006, Bargnani totaled 30 points and 15 rebounds in 55 minutes.

Prior to being deal to the Knicks for a first-round pick, two second-round picks and salary filler, Bargnani spent seven seasons with the Raptors, averaging 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. He ranks fourth in franchise history in games played and points scored.