New Orleans — The Pelicans closed-out their 3-game home-stand with a 125-116 loss to the Raptors. After getting-out to a quick start and leading by 5 through the first quarter, Toronto got Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins in foul trouble– both starters with 3 fouls before the half. The Raptors pulled ahead after the break, out-scoring the Pelicans 34-23 in the third quarter.
“Communication was pretty bad,” Cousins said. “We let guys that are known shooters get wide open shots so that’s on us. We were a bit limited tonight.”
Cousins led the Pelicans (8-7) with 25 points and 9 rebounds, while Davis added 19 points and 5 rebounds. Rajon Rondo was back in the starting line-up but was limited to 14 minutes of game action as he continues to recover from a core muscle injury. He had 4 points, 8 assists and 2 rebounds in his time on the floor.
“I think he looked good,” Cousins said about Rondo’s performance. “He looked like himself. He made plays for guys. He got the offense going. The pace was incredible. He did what he does.”
DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors (9-5) with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, while Kyle Lowery contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds. As a team, Toronto shot nearly 50% from beyond the arc, with 16 made threes in the game.
“They shot the ball well,” said Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry. “They did a really good job. I thought they played well. I thought we were playing well until our best two players were sitting on the bench in foul trouble.”
The Pelicans travel to take-on the Denver Nuggets on Friday, before returning home to host the Thunder on Monday and the Spurs on Wednesday.