Raptors beat the Pelicans 119-106 as Barnes has 23 points and 12 assists

TORONTO — Scottie Barnes had 23 points and 12 assists, Jakob Poeltl had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-106 on Friday night.

RJ Barrett, Sandro Mamukelashvili and J’Kobe Walter also scored 18 points apiece for the Raptors, and Brandon Ingram added 13.

Zion Williamson scored 22 points for New Orleans on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 4 for 4 from the foul line. Saddiq Bey added 19 points.

The Raptors won for the second time in three outings to remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a full game ahead of the idle Philadelphia 76ers. The top six teams automatically make the playoffs in each conference.

The Pelicans lost their fourth in a row overall and fifth straight on the road. They were without top scorers Trey Murphy III (ankle) and Dejounte Murray (Achilles). Immanuel Quickley (Achilles) was absent from the Toronto lineup.

Barnes scored 13 of his game-high total in the third quarter. Mamukelashvilli came off the bench for his total that included three 3-pointers.

After pulling away with a 25-8 run to begin the second quarter, the Raptors took a 59-44 lead into halftime. Toronto maintained its 15-point advantage after three quarters.

The Raptors played on two days of rest after a five-game road trip that concluded in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Up next

Pelicans: Host the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Raptors: Host the Orlando Magic on Sunday.