"Yi Jianlian has been on the wrong side of two nasty collisions this season, with John Wall falling on his right knee and costing him nine games with a hyperextension and then Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom falling on the same knee, costing him another nine games.

But Yi's third crash was hardly as gruesome, and he jokingly credited it for helping him have one of his better games of the season. Yi was working out with Washington Wizards assistant Gene Banks at the morning shoot-around before the team hosted Toronto on Saturday when he attempted a spin move and bumped heads with Banks.

The collision created a cut just above Yi's left eye - and a little wooziness - and forced him to wear a bandage during the game against the Raptors. But it was hardly a setback, as Yi scored 10 points and made all five of his field goal attempts.

"That's what make me go 5 for 5," Yi said with a laugh, as the game also produced a career first, when he leaped to intercept a pass from Raptors reserve Sundiata Gaines, dribbled the length of the court and dunked.

The 7-foot Yi said he had never gone coast-to-coast before in an NBA game, and the play represented the progress the reserve forward has made since returning from his latest knee ailment earlier this month.

"It hurts, but you know, luckily, it's not too bad. It was something on the court, I can't control what happens sometimes," Yi said of his knee injuries. "Knee felt great at the time of the dunk. It's getting better. Game shape, the knee, everything, playing time, confidence, getting better."

Yi was still easing his way back into the rotation in his first three games back, with Coach Flip Saunders relying more on newcomer Rashard Lewis and rookies Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin in his absence. But he provided some quality minutes in a loss to Minnesota, as he grabbed eight rebounds and scored eight points, including a two-handed dunk that gave the Wizards a short-lived fourth-quarter lead. "