Raptors easily dismiss Knicks behind DeRozan's well-rounded effort

The Toronto Raptors easily toppled the visiting New York Knicks 106-89 on Sunday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre.

Leading the way for the Raptors was swingman DeMar DeRozan who submitted a masterful performance against the Knicks' nameless wings. DeRozan sliced and diced New York's defense, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win.

DeRozan also hammered home three emphatic dunks, including this powerful putback.

The front line was solid for the Raptors, especially so for their two centers. Jonas Valanciunas dominated his match-up down low with the Knicks' bigs and finished with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, backup center Tyler Hansbrough chipped in with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and was a reliable finisher in the pick-and-roll.

Lance Thomas led the way for New York. His jump shot was in rare form, as he potted 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting. The Raptors were usually willing to help off Thomas, which left him open for easy looks. He even nailed two 3-pointers, after having gone 0-of-6 on the season to date.

The game was also a homecoming of sorts for Andrea Bargnani, who the Raptros drafted first overall in 2006. Bargnani's return was met with a smattering of boos, but he settled in nicely on offense. He got Amir Johnson to bite on a few pump fakes and finished with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting.

Toronto's victory, albeit against the league-worst Knicks, was a promising showing for the reeling club. Coming into the game, the Raptors had lost 11 of their last 15 games.