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DeRozan leads Raptors over Pelicans

Mar 20, 2014 - 5:49 AM New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - DeMar DeRozan poured in a game-high 31 points to lead Toronto to a 107-100 victory over New Orleans on Wednesday.

Kyle Lowry tallied 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Amir Johnson added 17 points and nine boards for the Raptors, who have won three of their last five.

Tyler Hansborough chipped in a game-high 13 rebounds and Greivis Vasquez contributed 14 points.

"We understand we needed this game, plus we have a long flight back home that we didn't want to sit on this loss with," DeRozan said.

Al-Farouq Aminu scored 19 and had 10 rebounds and Tyreke Evans netted 18 points for the Pelicans, who were without All-Star Anthony Davis due to an upper respiratory infection.

"He's a freak athlete. He helps the team out a ton. ... Obviously with a guy that can rebound like Anthony, it's hard to make up for that," Pelicans forward Jeff Withey said.

Eric Gordon and Brian Roberts added 15 and 11 points, respectively, in defeat, while Austin Rivers and Alexis Ajinca scored 10 apiece off the bench, with Ajinca adding seven rebounds.

The Raptors led three times for about two minutes total through the first three quarters and trailed by four, 85-81, heading into the fourth.

After trading baskets for much of the final 12 minutes, Johnson netted two straight to spark a 9-0 run with 4 1/2 left in the game. Vasquez's three-point play with 1:21 left made it 99-94 Toronto.

The Raptors went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe down the stretch to seal the victory.

New Orleans led by seven with 7 1/2 left in the third before a 7-0 run by the Raptors tied things up. The Pelicans went back in front with seven straight of their own.

The Raptors responded with an 11-4 run to tie the contest at 81. The Pelicans scored the last four of the period to take an 85-81 edge into the fourth.

Toronto trailed by as many as 14 several times in the second quarter but they got within one, 57-56, on the strength of a 20-7 tear to close out the first half.

In the first 12 minutes the Pelicans shot 13-for-16 from the floor, while Toronto went 8-for-20 on its field goals. The Pelicans led by eight, 32-24, heading into the second.

Game Notes

The Pelicans have lost six straight to the Raptors ... Toronto outrebounded the Pelicans by a 48-34 margin ... Toronto has won three straight in New Orleans ... Jonas Valanciunas missed his first game of the season due to a sprained lower back suffered Tuesday in the third quarter against Atlanta Hawks.