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Raptors 108, Pelicans 101
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
TORONTO — Forward Patrick Patterson scored a season-best 22 points and guard DeMar DeRozan also scored 22 as the Toronto Raptors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 108-101 on Monday.
The victory snapped a two-game losing streak by the Raptors (27-24), who also got 19 points and 12 assists from guard Kyle Lowry. Guard/forward Terrence Ross added 14 points and forward Tyler Hansbrough scored 12.
Guard Tyreke Evans came off the bench to lead the Pelicans (22-29) with 23 points and 10 assists. Forward Anthony Davis added 19 points and guard Brian Roberts scored 18. Guard Eric Gordon chipped in with 10 for New Orleans, which lost its second game in a row.
Toronto won seven of the past eight games with New Orleans, which had its only victory in the stretch Jan. 17, 2011.
The Raptors entered the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead, but a jumper by guard Anthony Morrow cut the lead to five points with 8:59 to play. Forward Luke Babbitt hit a 3-pointer for New Orleans to reduce Toronto’s lead to 87-86. The Raptors were able to open up a nine-point lead with 4:21 left on a bank shot by Hansbrough and a 3-pointer by Ross. Patterson gave the Raptors a 10-point lead with 1:40 to play. New Orleans cut the lead to five points with 16.1 seconds to play on a layup by Evans.
The teams were tied at the half but the Raptors moved into a 10-point lead early in the third quarter with a 13-3 surge. A 3-pointer by Patterson bumped the lead to 17 points with 3:14 left in the third quarter and gave him 10 points in the quarter. The lead reached 18 before Toronto settled for an 82-70 edge at the end of the third. New Orleans was only 5-for-10 in free throws in the quarter.
The Raptors led by 15 points early in the second quarter, but the Pelicans tied the game at 43 on a 3-pointer by Roberts with 4:13 to play in the half. Davis then hit a pair of free throw to put New Orleans ahead 45-43 and Evans increased the lead to four with a layup. The Raptors tied the game at 49 at the half on Patterson’s turnaround jumper.
The Raptors shot 63 percent from the field (12-for-19) to lead 31-20 after the first quarter, paced by seven points each from Lowry, DeRozan and Patterson.
NOTES: Raptors F Amir Johnson (sore right ankle), who has been struggling because of injuries, did not play Monday. F Patrick Patterson started in his place. … Patterson will continue to wear a mask to protect his broken nose for about a month. … Pelicans G Tyreke Evans, who has been hampered by a cartilage tear between his ribs, did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets because of what coach Monty Williams referred to as an internal team issue. Evans was available to come off the bench against the Raptors. … Monday was the Raptors’ first home game since Jan. 29, when they defeated the Orlando Magic before departing on a five-game (2-3) Western swing. The Raptors play the Atlanta Hawks at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday. … The Pelicans visit the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Wednesday to play the Milwaukee Bucks.
