The Associated Press
Les East
NEW ORLEANS–The Toronto Raptors were pummelled in the paint and turned the ball over too often.
But the way DeMar DeRozan and crew were shooting, it didn’t matter.
DeRozan scored 25 points and the Raptors shot 59 percent from the floor to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-116 last night.
Toronto made 47 percent of its three-point attempts, and seven Raptors had at least 10 points.
Among them were Kyle Lowry with 22, Jonas Valanciunas with 21, and C.J. Miles at 17.
“Coaches are preaching, ‘When you’ve got open looks, take them and be aggressive in all the things you do,'” Lowry noted.
Miles made five three-pointers and Lowry had four. DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, and Fred VanVleet each had two.
“They were hot,” said Pelicans’ guard Jameer Nelson. “We had some breakdowns and they made us pay.
“On offence we’re just as good as anyone, but on defence we have to get better,” he stressed.
DeMarcus Cousins scored 25 points for the Pelicans while Anthony Davis had 19.
New Orleans outscored Toronto 64-42 in the paint and won the turnover battle 21-14, but couldn’t slow the Raptors’ sharp-shooters.
“Our rotations were bad,” Cousins admitted. “Communication was pretty bad. We let guys that are known shooters get wide-open shots, so that’s on us.
“We were a bit limited tonight.”
Toronto turned a one-point halftime edge into a 98-86 lead after three quarters, boosted by DeRozan’s 11 points.
Lowry scored on an offensive rebound and Miles made a three-pointer as Toronto extended the lead to 110-93 early in the fourth.
“I’m being assertive,” said Miles, who has made 12-of-28 three-pointers in the last four games.
“Guys are looking for me and we’re moving the basketball, which is creating openings,” he noted.
“If [opponents] are going to give me space, I’m going to make them pay.”
The Pelicans led by 14 points in the first quarter.
But Pascal Siakam scored 10 points, all on lay-ups, as Toronto took a 45-42 lead early in the second quarter.
Jrue Holiday scored eight points as New Orleans regained the lead before Lowry made a three-pointer that gave the Raptors a 64-63 halftime advantage.
Toronto was playing the back end of its first set of back-to-back games this season, having won at Houston on Tuesday night.
Elsewhere, Minnesota beat San Antonio 98-86, Atlanta bombed Sacramento 126-80, New York downed Utah 106-101, Washington upended Miami 102-93, Cleveland bounced Charlotte 115-107, Indiana shaded Memphis 116-113, and Milwaukee topped Detroit 99-95.
Oklahoma City beat Chicago 92-79, Portland downed Orlando 99-94, and Philadelphia dumped the L.A. Lakers 115-109.
