Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes each recorded double-doubles as the Toronto Raptors secured a 113-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, marking their first four-game winning streak in nearly two years.
Poeltl finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Barnes contributed 21 points and 11 boards. RJ Barrett added 17 points, and Chris Boucher chipped 14 for Toronto.
The Raptors hadn’t won four consecutive games since February 12-25, 2023, a stretch featuring a home victory over New Orleans.
Zion Williamson powered the Pelicans with 31 points, while CJ McCollum had 22. Dejounte Murray scored 21, and Trey Murphy III added 14, but New Orleans struggled on the road, dropping to 4-19 away from home. The Pelicans also shot just 6-of-28 from beyond the arc.
Toronto had endured a rough stretch, losing 17 of 20 games before turning things around with a home win against Orlando last Tuesday. The Raptors then swept a two-game series in Atlanta, securing just their second and third road victories of the season after starting 0-10 away from home.
Takeaways
Pelicans: Head coach Willie Green was ejected with 7:22 remaining in the fourth quarter after receiving a double technical for arguing a non-call on a Zion Williamson drive.
Raptors: Barnes, who was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day—the first such honor of his career—struggled with his shot, finishing 6-of-21 from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range.
Key Moment
After being outscored 35-18 in the third quarter and seeing a 16-point lead turn into a one-point deficit, the Raptors responded with a 10-2 run to start the fourth, regaining control of the game.
Key Stat
While Williamson was efficient in the first half, shooting 7-of-9, the rest of the Pelicans struggled, combining just 6-of-32. New Orleans trailed 56-40 at halftime.
Up Next
Both teams return to action on Wednesday, with the Pelicans hosting the Dallas Mavericks and the Raptors visiting the Washington Wizards.
