Pelicans at Raptors
The injury-ravaged New Orleans Pelicans hope to have star forward Anthony Davis back in the lineup when they continue a three-game road trip at Toronto on Friday. Davis (hip strain) became the latest in a long list of Pelicans to sit in street clothes when he watched New Orleans' 106-98 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday.
Jrue Holiday sat out the second half of a back-to-back as he recovers from a leg injury, Norris Cole sat due to an ankle ailment and the team remained without Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter and Kendrick Perkins. ''There are no kinds of moral victories,'' guard Ish Smith, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds, told reporters. ''We were right there and we gave ourselves a chance to win. ... I'm sure there were some guys who were tired, but we don't use that as an excuse.'' Kyle Lowry had 23 points and Luis Scola chipped in 21 to lead the Raptors to a 119-103 win at winless Philadelphia on Wednesday, snapping Toronto's three-game slide. Davis missed both meetings last season but the Pelicans were able to sweep the two-game season series by a total of five points.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN New Orleans, TSN (Toronto)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (1-7): Smith and backcourt mate Eric Gordon kept New Orleans alive deep into the game at Atlanta, combining for 44 points and 13 assists. Gordon made 4-of-6 3-pointers and remains aggressive as one of the few healthy scoring options - he ranks fourth in the NBA with 8.3 attempts from long range per game and is attempting 16.1 shots overall, his highest rate since 2010-11. The Pelicans are second in the league in 3-pointers per game (10.5) and seventh in accuracy (36.7).
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (6-3): Friday's game marks Toronto's last at home until the day before Thanksgiving, as it embarks on a five-game road trip beginning Sunday in Sacramento. That made the runaway win and solid bench contributions (42 points, 27 rebounds) against Philadelphia much-needed, as James Johnson was the only starter to reach the 30-minute mark and star guard DeMar DeRozan was able to check out after a season-low 27. Cory Joseph played a team-high 31 minutes off the bench, finishing with 15 points and five assists one night after producing 12 and eight at home against New York.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Toronto has been held to five or fewer 3-pointers in six straight games, its longest such stretch since 2010-11.
2. Pelicans PF Ryan Anderson is averaging 21 points and 10.3 rebounds over his last three games.
3. Raptors SF DeMarre Carroll has missed three straight games due to a plantar fascia injury in his right heel.