Pelicans Light Up Smoothie King, Send Raptors Home With a Lesson in Execution 122-111

Murphy’s three with 2:19 remaining — pushing the lead to 116-101 — was the dagger. At that point, the Raptors were gassed. Their legs were gone, their rotation was broken, and Murphy was still rising with that effortless, high-release stroke like he had all the energy in the world.

He finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Efficient, purposeful, and clutch when it mattered most.

Murray Looked Like Himself Again

This is the part that should genuinely excite Pelicans fans.

Dejounte Murray has been working his way back since suffering a torn right Achilles tendon that cost him more than a year of his career. Wednesday night, he looked like the player New Orleans traded for — dynamic, confident, and determined. His 27-point, 6-assist, 5-rebound line was his highest-scoring output since returning, and it came against a Toronto team fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

Murray has talked openly about wanting to build winning habits, about treating every game like a playoff game. Against the Raptors, you could see that mentality on full display. He attacked the paint, found open cutters, and hit the tough mid-range shots that define his game. When he’s right — truly right — the Pelicans are a different team.

The Third Quarter Was the Turning Point

New Orleans led 60-58 at halftime. It was a tight game. Then the Pelicans came out in the third quarter and outscored Toronto 33-25, pushing their lead to as many as 18 points.

That stretch broke the Raptors. And when Toronto clawed back to within two early in the fourth, the Pelicans responded with an 8-0 run that shut the door for good. The Raptors never got closer than six points from that moment on.

Toronto shot just 31.8% from three on 44 attempts. New Orleans hit 14 threes on 29 tries — a 48.3% clip that tells the whole story of the efficiency gap between these two teams on the night.

Ingram’s Return Was Emotional, But Brief

Ingram finished with 22 points and surpassed 11,000 career points in the process. A milestone worth appreciating. But he was a -25 in 38 minutes, and the Raptors as a whole couldn’t solve New Orleans’ defensive rotations or match their energy off the glass.

The tribute was genuine. The result was business.

What It Means for the Pelicans

At 22-45, the Pelicans aren’t playing for anything in the standings. But something is building in New Orleans. Murphy is shooting at an elite level. Murray is rounding into form. Zion Williamson added 19 points and looked physically dominant in stretches.

Yves Missi came off the bench and pulled down 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes. Herbert Jones hit four threes. This team, when healthy and engaged, has real pieces.

The Pelicans head to Houston on Friday. The Raptors, now sliding to seventh in the East — a half-game behind both Orlando and Miami — host Phoenix. For Toronto, the losses are starting to matter. For New Orleans, the wins are starting to mean something, too.