TORONTO – Karl-Anthony Towns returned from a one-game absence with 24 points and 15 rebounds, Jalen Brunson had 20 points and 11 assists and the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 113-108 on Monday night for their fifth win in six games .

Towns tied the score with a layup with 36 seconds left in the game, then sealed the victory with a 3-pointer on New York’s next possession.

Mikal Bridges scored 23 points as the Knicks won their fifth straight meeting with the Raptors. OG Anunoby scored 14 points against his former team and Josh Hart had 10.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes left midway through the third quarter with a sprained right ankle. Barnes was helped off the pitch by teammates before hopping to the locker room as he was unable to put any weight on his right foot.

Barnes missed 11 games earlier this season with a right orbital fracture and has been wearing protective eyewear since returning Nov. 21. Toronto went 2-9 and was without the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year.

RJ Barrett scored 30 points for Toronto and Jakob Poeltl had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Takeaways

Knicks: Towns returned after sitting out Saturday’s loss to Detroit with a right knee injury. Guard Cam Payne (left elbow) also returned for the Knicks.

Raptors: Rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter reached a career high with 14 points in the first half. Walter finished the race with 19 points.

Key moment

Barnes was injured when he landed on Towns while fighting for a defensive rebound with 6:47 left in the third period. Barnes scored 15 points in 23 minutes before exiting.

Key statistics

Towns made just one of his first four attempts from distance before hitting the game-winning three-pointer with six seconds left.

Next

New York hosts Atlanta in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday. Toronto’s next game is Thursday at Miami.

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