Sports New Season On February 6, Beijing time, in the NBA regular season, the New Orleans Pelicans sat at home to face the Toronto Raptors. The Pelicans' recent form has rebounded, defeating the Rockets and Spurs in a row to stop the decline and get two consecutive wins; The Raptors, on the other hand, have lost two games in a row and have lost seven of their last eight games. In this game, the Pelicans were unrelenting in the face of the in-state Raptors, winning 138-100 to usher in three consecutive wins.
In the first quarter, the Pelicans played a fluid offense led by McCollum and Ingram. The pair hit back-to-back three-pointers to help the team go 12-4 to open the game. In this quarter, the Pelicans hit 6 three-pointers and scored 36 points, establishing an early 17-point lead. Entering the second quarter, although the Raptors have warmed up on the offensive end and can match the intensity of the opponent, the defensive end cannot stop the Pelicans' fierce offensive at all. Ingram scored 21 points in the first half to help the Pelicans take a 17-point lead into the second half.
Coming back from halftime, Ingram, who was in hot form in the third quarter, continued to exert his power, hitting six three-pointers in a single quarter to score 20 points. His individual score was only one point less than the Raptors' score in the quarter, and he almost single-handedly destroyed the Raptors' defense. Led by Ingram, the Pelicans stretched the deficit to 34 points in the third quarter and sealed an early victory. The suspense of the game in the final quarter has been lost, and both sides have made extensive rotations. The Pelicans didn't let up their defense and always maintained the lead.
In this game, the Pelicans played well as a team, with a total of 7 players scoring double-doubles. Ingram was undoubtedly the brightest star of the game, with 41 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 block in the game, including 8-of-11 three-pointers. McCollum also scored 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, providing strong firepower for the team. Zion's 16 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists were also eye-catching, and his impact on the interior made the Raptors unguardable. Although the Raptors have stars such as Barnes and Poeltl who have performed well, the overall performance has been mediocre. Barnes had a decent 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists; Poeltl struggled to support himself inside and contributed 14 points and nine rebounds. However, in the face of the Pelicans' all-out offense, the Raptors seemed inadequate.
Overall, the Pelicans showed strong strength and team cohesion in this game. They excelled on both ends of the floor, leading their opponents in rebounds and assists, steals and blocks. In contrast, the Raptors were inconsistent in crunch time, especially on the offensive end, which led to their inability to compete with the Pelicans and ultimately lost the game. This loss is a wake-up call for the Raptors, who need to work hard in the next games and improve the overall strength of the team to better cope with the challenge of strong teams.