New Orleans Pelicans ride third-quarter burst as Toronto Raptors chase fast-break points at Smoothie King Center

The New Orleans Pelicans entered at 22-45 and the Toronto Raptors arrived at 36-29, and New Orleans finished with a 122-111 result at Smoothie King Center.

First quarter

The Pelicans opened with 29 first-quarter points while the Raptors posted 30 in the opening quarter.

Toronto generated 26 fast-break points on 15 attempts, and New Orleans answered with 13 fast-break points on 7 attempts.

The Raptors collected 13 steals, and the Pels finished with 10 steals.

Second quarter

The Pelicans added 31 second-quarter points, and the Raptors responded with 28 in the second quarter.

New Orleans shot 51 percent from the field, and Toronto shot 42 percent from the field.

The Pels delivered 27 assists, and the Raptors finished with 20 assists.

Third quarter

The Pelicans won the third quarter 33-25, and New Orleans Pelicans vs Toronto Raptors turning point came as the Pels created separation after halftime.

New Orleans hit 14 three-pointers on 48 percent shooting, and Toronto also hit 14 threes but at 32 percent.

The Pelicans pulled down 62 total rebounds, and the Raptors finished with 48 total rebounds.

Fourth quarter

The Pelicans scored 29 in the fourth quarter, and Toronto matched with 28 in the fourth quarter as the game closed at 122-111.

Toronto produced 31 bench points, and New Orleans got 23 bench points.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Toronto Raptors key moments included the Pels leading for 37:41 and building an 18-point biggest lead while Toronto’s biggest lead was 7.

Player notes and team totals

Trey Murphy III scored 28 points in the previous game and recorded 3 steals, and that production aligned with a New Orleans offense that posted a 116.679418515685 offensive rating in this matchup.

Zion Williamson had 19 points in the previous game, and the Pelicans scored 46 points in the paint against Toronto’s 42 points in the paint.

Dejounte Murray logged 27 points in the previous game, and New Orleans finished with 27 assists while protecting enough possessions to score 122 points on 104.56 possessions.

New Orleans Pelicans post-match stats showed 16 total turnovers for the Pels and 11 total turnovers for the Raptors, and Toronto turned those takeaways into 24 points off turnovers compared with 17 for New Orleans.

The New Orleans Pelicans final whistle reaction centered on a 5-block night for New Orleans that matched Toronto’s 5 blocks while the Pelicans held the Raptors to 111 points.

Next game

The New Orleans Pelicans will be on the road at Toyota Center in Houston, USA, on 3/13/2026 at 8:00 PM EDT against the Houston Rockets, with broadcasts on SCHN, Gulf Coast Sports, and Pelicans+.

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