TORONTO (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored a season-high 34 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 10 rebounds against his former team, and the New Orleans Pelicans hammered the short-handed Toronto Raptors 139-98 on Tuesday night.
Murphy matched a career best by making 10 of 14 3-point attempts as the Pelicans handed the Raptors their worst defeat of the season, eclipsing a 38-point drubbing they gave Toronto in New Orleans last month.
The Pelicans’ biggest lead was 43 points, and they made 24 of 49 attempts from 3-point range. New Orleans set a franchise record with 25 made 3s in a Jan. 17 win over Charlotte.
Herb Jones scored 17 points, Zion Williamson had 16 and Brandon Ingram 12. New Orleans has won three of four.
Ingram hit a career-high eight 3-pointers when the Pelicans routed the Raptors 138-100 on Feb. 5.
Williamson narrowly missed a triple-double, finishing with nine assists and eight rebounds.
Immanuel Quickley scored 17 points for the Raptors, who played without All-Star Scottie Barnes and center Jakob Poeltl.
Barnes is out indefinitely after breaking his left hand in last Friday’s home loss to Golden State. Before the game, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said it was too soon to say whether Barnes would be able to return before the end of the season. The Raptors announced Monday night that Barnes had undergone surgery in Los Angeles.
Poeltl is still consulting specialists after dislocating his left pinkie in Sunday’s win over Charlotte.
Raptors guard Bruce Brown sat out for the second straight game because of a sore right knee. Toronto guard Ochai Agbaji made his second straight start but exited in the third quarter because of a sore left knee.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 16 points for Toronto. RJ Barrett and Kelly Olynyk each had 15.
Down 19-14 early, New Orleans answered with a 12-2 run and led 42-28 after one. Jones scored 14 points in the first quarter, connecting on four of five attempts from long distance.
Ingram opened the second quarter by eluding Toronto’s Jordan Nwora with a crossover and driving for a one-handed slam.
Williamson punctuated the half by stripping Raptors rookie Gradey Dick near midcourt in the final minute and breaking away for a powerful dunk. New Orleans led 68-45 at the break.
Murphy made three shots from 3-point range as the Pelicans went 8 of 12 from long distance in the third, taking a 106-76 lead into the fourth.
Toronto signed guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to a 10-day contract Tuesday. Ramsey made his Raptors debut in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter.
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