TORONTO — In an impressive display, Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes each contributed 21 points as the Toronto Raptors triumphed over the New Orleans Pelicans with a score of 113-104 on Monday evening. Poeltl also secured 14 rebounds, while Barnes added 11 boards, helping the Raptors achieve their first four-game winning streak in nearly two years.

RJ Barrett was another key player for Toronto, scoring 17 points, along with Chris Boucher, who chipped in 14 points of his own. The last time the Raptors enjoyed a four-game winning streak was from February 12 to 25, 2023, during which they also recorded a victory over the Pelicans at home.

On the Pelicans’ side, Zion Williamson led the scoring with 31 points, and CJ McCollum contributed 22 points, but the team fell to a dismal 4-19 record on the road. Dejounte Murray added 21 points, while Trey Murphy III supplied 14 points, but New Orleans struggled significantly from beyond the arc, hitting only 6 of their 28 three-point attempts.

Prior to this victory, the Raptors were experiencing a rough patch, having lost 17 of their last 20 games. Their turnaround began with a home win against Orlando last Tuesday, followed by back-to-back victories in Atlanta, marking their second and third away wins this season. They had faced a tough start to the season, going 0-10 on the road before their victory in New Orleans on November 27.

One notable incident during the game occurred when Pelicans coach Willie Green was ejected for arguing a non-call on a driving basket made by Williamson, receiving a double technical with 7:22 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Barnes, who was honored earlier that day as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first time, ended the game with a shooting performance of 6 of 21 from the field, including 1 of 7 from three-point range.

A significant turning point took place when Toronto, after being outscored 35-18 in the third quarter and losing a 16-point lead, bounced back at the start of the fourth quarter with a decisive 10-2 run to reclaim control of the game.

At halftime, despite Williamson’s strong first-half performance, shooting 7 of 9, the rest of his team could only manage a combined 6 of 32 shooting. This left New Orleans trailing 56-40 as the teams headed into the break.

Looking ahead, both teams will be in action again on Wednesday, with the Pelicans set to host the Dallas Mavericks while the Raptors will visit the Washington Wizards.