Raptors 107, Pelicans 100
DeMar DeRozan scored 31 points and Kyle Lowry had 23 to help visiting Toronto survive a tight affair with New Orleans, which played without All-Star forward Anthony Davis.
Amir Johnson had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who were coming off an overtime loss in Atlanta on Tuesday night. Greivis Vasquez came off the bench to produce 14 points - including six in the final two minutes - as Toronto remained a half-game up on Chicago for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Al-Farouq Aminu led six Pelicans in double figures with 19 points while Tyreke Evans added 18. Eric Gordon scored 15 points and Brian Roberts chipped in 11 as New Orleans dropped the finale of a season-high six-game homestand despite shooting 53.7 percent.
Anthony Morrow's jumper midway through the fourth and Jeff Withey's free throw moments later put the Pelicans up 94-90 but Johnson had a putback slam and a layup on consecutive possessions and Vasquez made a jumper and converted a three-point play to make it 99-94 with 1:21 to go. Johnson had another tip-in with 45 seconds left to put Toronto up 102-95 and DeRozan and Lowry made two free throws apiece in the closing moments to ice it.
The Pelicans went ahead by 14 points midway through the second quarter but DeRozan had five points and Lowry a 3-pointer in the final minute of the first half to cut the Raptors' deficit to 57-56. Aminu and Austin Rivers both scored late in the third to give New Orleans an 85-81 lead entering the final 12 minutes.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Davis, who had career highs of 40 points and 21 rebounds in his last game Sunday vs. Boston, was sidelined with an upper respiratory infection. ... Toronto played without C Jonas Valanciunas, who suffered a back sprain in the loss to Atlanta. ... Raptors F Tyler Hansbrough made his fourth start of the season and finished with 13 rebounds, part of a 48-34 advantage on the boards for Toronto.