When the Raptors host the Pelicans, the matchup billed as raptors vs pelicans returns with a memory still vivid from New Orleans: a late three, a standing taunt, and a team watching itself on film. Toronto enters as an 8. 5-point favorite, but injuries and recent form have turned the evening into more than a single-game spoiler—it feels like a small playoff series with consequences.
What happened the last time these teams met?
The teams met just over two weeks ago in New Orleans, where the Pelicans won 122-111. The defining image from that game was Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray hitting a late three and standing over Toronto’s Jamal Shead while Shead had lost his balance on defense; Murray was assessed a technical foul for the act. The Raptors later reviewed the tape together. “After watching the film, I thought that we did not handle that situation the way we want, that we were supposed to, ” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said, adding that players had conversations with each other about the moment.
Raptors Vs Pelicans: What does the injury report mean for the matchup?
Injuries have reshaped the rosters. Toronto will be without its starting point guard, Immanuel Quickley, who is officially ruled out with plantar fasciitis, and Trayce Jackson-Davis is out with right knee tendinitis. With Quickley sidelined, second-year guard Jamal Shead will remain in the starting lineup.
New Orleans will be missing several contributors as well: Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Bryce McGowens are listed out. The Pelicans have shown improvement since Murray’s return from offseason Achilles surgery, going 12-8 over a recent 20-game stretch, but playing consecutive road nights adds strain to that momentum.
How are both teams responding on and off the court?
Toronto’s season has been shaped by durability concerns and lineup flux. The club has lost multiple starters at different times this season; as one player returns another has gone down. One roster note in that pattern: a rookie, Collin Murray-Boyles, missed 11 straight games with a left thumb sprain and only recently returned to availability. The team also rotated veteran signings to plug gaps—Markelle Fultz is on a 10-day contract after being called up from the Raptors’ G-League affiliate. Over roughly 25 minutes across the last two games, Fultz produced two points and seven assists, and was singled out by teammates and coach for engaging with the system and getting others involved.
New Orleans is not positioned to rebuild by losing games; the franchise does not own its first-round pick and has an interim head coach, James Borrego. That combination, plus a young core, has translated into competitive basketball this stretch despite the current absences.
For perspective from outside the locker room, betting analyst Doug Kezirian—who has tracked results and handicapping for decades—said bluntly, “my next play is the Raptors. ” His preference reflects both the line, which favors Toronto by 8. 5 points at home, and the expectation that a motivated Raptors group will seek to respond after the earlier taunt and the subsequent film session.
On the Raptors’ sideline, the internal response is less about wagering and more about standards. Rajakovic’s comment about the film review underscored that the squad expects a particular image and behavior, and the team beat a playoff-bound opponent in its next game after that review—an outcome the coach presented as evidence of corrective action.
With just a handful of regular-season games left, seeding still matters for Toronto: the club sits in a position where half a game separates it from a higher seed, and a slim margin separates it from slipping toward the play-in threshold. New Orleans, playing with a young nucleus and an interim coach, has reasons to compete aggressively despite roster limitations.
Back in the arena where the film review took on new weight, the taunt that defined the last meeting remains an unresolved frame. Will Toronto answer on the scoreboard and in demeanor? Will the absence of key players on both sides change the tone from that New Orleans night? The coaches, rotated lineups and the 10-day call-ups will determine which version of these teams shows up—revenge-minded and settled, or patched together and vulnerable.
