TORONTO – Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes each recorded double-doubles as the Toronto Raptors beat the New Orleans Pelicans 113-104 on Monday for their fourth straight victory.
Barnes scored 21 points to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists, while the big man Poeltl also had 21 points while adding 14 boards.
Zion Williamson paced the Pelicans with 31 points and seven rebounds on 11-for-14 shooting from the field, and Dejounte Murray pitched in with 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Toronto (14-32) has now won six of its past seven contests, while New Orleans (12-35) dropped its third straight.
The Pelicans led 73-72 at the outset of the fourth quarter after erasing an earlier 17-point deficit thanks to a 35-18 third frame.
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But the Raptors rallied with a 17-6 run fuelled by Barnes and Poeltl, who combined for 12 of the team’s points in that stretch, and held the Pelicans at arm’s length for the rest of the game.
Toronto led 25-20 after a low-scoring first quarter in which the teams combined for 11 turnovers, but the Raptors found their offensive touch in the second frame and built a 56-40 lead at halftime.
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Canadian Chris Boucher had 14 points off the bench for the Raptors.
Earlier Monday, Barnes was named Eastern Conference Player of the week after averaging averaged 22 points, 9.7 rebounds and six rebounds across three Raptors victories.
TAKEAWAYS
Raptors: Toronto’s defence, ranked 25th leaguewide in points allowed per game, showed continued signs of life after limiting New Orleans to a 31.7 per cent shooting percentage in the first half, including a 2-for-14 mark from three. A 35-point third quarter for the Pelicans erased much of the good work, but the Raptors turned up the heat again in the fourth en route to victory.
Pelicans: The enigmatic former No. 1 pick Williamson looked like the star he was billed as when he was drafted out of Duke in 2019. He constantly beat Raptors defenders with his unique blend of force, bounciness and finesse and his point total marked his highest since returning from a strained hamstring on Jan. 7.
KEY MOMENT
Pelicans coach Willie Green was ejected in the fourth quarter after arguing a non-call against Williamson during which the star player lost his shoe.
Barnes hit the subsequent pair of technical free throws, giving the Raptors a 10-point advantage.
KEY STAT
The victory marks the Raptors’ first four-game winning streak since Feb. 12-25, 2023 — a stretch that also included a home triumph over the Pelicans.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
Raptors: Visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2025.