Randle's near triple-double powers Knicks past Raptors

TORONTO: New York Knicks forward Julius Randle scored 20 points, grabbed ten rebounds and dished out nine assists in the team's 119-106 win over the Toronto Raptors in Friday night's NBA match.

Jalen Brunson led the team with 22 points, while Donte DiVincenzo brought a spark off the bench with 21 points, including a career-high tying seven threes made. In total, the Knicks reserves outscored the Raptors 52-25, reports Xinhua.

"Once we got our defense going, I loved the way we played offensively." said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau after the game. "I thought we really shared the ball and made plays for each other."

After entering the halftime break tied at 57-57, New York held Toronto to 20 points on 9-for-25 (36.0 percent) shooting in the third quarter, including four points in the first six and a half minutes of action. By the end of the third frame, the Knicks were up 90-77 and led by double-digits the rest of the game.

Randle's appearance in the game was in doubt as he was dealing with a right knee inflammation, Thibodeau revealed after the game.

"He warmed up early to see how he would feel and then he got with the medical people. Julius is going to give you what he has; if he can go, he's going and I love that about him," Thibodeau explained.

With the victory, New York have won three straight and seven of their last nine games, improving their overall record to 12-7 on the season.

During the nine-game run, 29-year-old Randle is averaging 23.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.