Scottie Barnes had 23 points and 12 assists, five teammates scored in double figures and the host Toronto Raptors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 119-106 on Friday night.
Jakob Poeltl added 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Sandro Mamukelashvili, RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter scored 18 each and Brandon Ingram added 13 to help the Raptors (41-32) overcome the absence of Immanuel Quickley, who missed his third consecutive game because of a foot injury.
Zion Williamson scored 22 points, Saddiq Bey added 19, Derik Queen scored 13, Jordan Poole had 12 and Jeremiah 10 for the Pelicans (25-50), who played without leading scorer Trey Murphy III (ankle) and Dejounte Murray (Achilles injury management) and lost for the seventh time in their last eight road games.
Now fifth in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors led by 15 at the half, but the Pelicans crept within 66-54 on a three-point play by Williamson. Barnes answered with a three-point play, but Williamson scored seven straight New Orleans points to help trim the lead to 76-66.
Barrett made a jumper and a 3-pointer and Barnes added a dunk for a 17-point lead. The Pelicans got within 13 on a three-point play by Queen before Barnes’ jumper left Toronto with a 90-75 lead entering the fourth.
Collin Murray-Bowles had three points during a 7-0 run that gave Toronto a 23-10 lead. Deandre Jordan had two field goals and Poole converted a four-point play during a 10-0 run that pulled New Orleans within three.
Barnes scored four points, Barrett added three and the Raptors took a 29-25 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Bey made two free throws to start the second-quarter scoring before Mamukelashvili had seven straight points to help Toronto increase the lead to 42-31. Queen made a layup for New Orleans before Ingram and Murray-Bowles scored four each during a 12-0 run that gave the Raptors a 21-point lead.
Bey scored five points, Yves Missi added four and the Pelicans, who lost their fourth in a row, closed within 59-44 at halftime.
