NOP 122, TOR 111: III, Murray Both Feast for NOP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Pelicans Steal One in New Orleans: The Murphy-Murray Show Powered the Win
Final Score: Pelicans 122, Raptors 111
New Orleans got a W tonight, and it wasn't particularly close down the stretch. The Raptors came to play but ran out of gas, and two guys in particular made sure the Pelicans could cruise to the finish line. Let's break down what actually mattered.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Murphy III | 55.0 | 46.9 | 28/7/3 | 22.1/5.7/3.8 | +5.9 |
| Brandon Ingram | 45.0 | 44.7 | 22/6/5 | 21.5/5.7/3.8 | +0.5 |
| Dejounte Murray | 49.0 | 44.0 | 27/5/6 | 17.6/5.3/5.4 | +9.4 |
| Immanuel Quickley | 48.0 | 41.7 | 25/6/3 | 17.3/4.2/6.1 | +7.7 |
| Zion Williamson | 32.0 | 33.2 | 19/6/4 | 21.4/5.9/3.4 | -2.4 |
| Scottie Barnes | 30.0 | 32.2 | 9/6/4 | 18.8/7.9/5.3 | -9.8 |
| RJ Barrett | 20.0 | 26.9 | 16/7/1 | 18.7/5.4/3.3 | -2.7 |
| Yves Missi | 26.0 | 26.0 | 6/10/2 | 5.5/5.5/1.1 | +0.5 |
| Jakob Poeltl | 26.0 | 23.0 | 8/5/0 | 9.9/7.4/2.0 | -1.9 |
| Herbert Jones | 29.0 | 21.9 | 16/2/1 | 9.0/3.5/2.8 | +7.0 |
The Pelicans' Two-Man Gang
Trey Murphy III went absolutely nuclear. 28 points on 8-12 shooting with five threes and 7-8 from the line? That's not a game, that's a clinic. 46.9 Yahoo FP. He's been solid all season, but tonight was a statement game where he beat his point total by nearly 6. The efficiency was there, the volume was there, and he was on the floor for 33 minutes getting real work. This isn't a fluke night from a bench guy either, he's been consistently solid all season around 22 PPG. Keep him in your lineups.
Dejounte Murray did something even more wild stat-wise. 27 points on 12-20 shooting with 6 assists, and he hit that at +9.4 points above his season average. That's the kind of offensive explosion that doesn't come around every night from a guy who typically lives around 17-18 PPG. 44 Yahoo FP from a point guard who's usually giving you 17-18 and assists. If you own him, you cash tonight. Real question is whether this sticks or if it's a one-off.
Herbert Jones was the wild card. 16 points, four threes, and somehow only played 35 minutes but still put up 21.9 Yahoo FP. He came off the bench and straight up cooked from deep. This is a different look than his season average suggests (9 PPG, 3.5 RPG), so I'd pump the brakes on thinking this is a permanent role shift. Defensive specialist who had a hot shooting night. Doesn't change his baseline value.
The Raptors Couldn't Keep Up
Brandon Ingram led Toronto (wait, that's backwards, Ingram plays for New Orleans, not Toronto). Let me restart: Brandon Ingram was solid for the Raptors with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in 38 minutes. 44.7 Yahoo FP. He basically met expectations tonight, nothing special but nothing bad. He's your consistent 21-22 PPG guy and that's what he delivered.
Immanuel Quickley was the only Raptor who really showed up offensively. 25 points on 8-14 shooting with three threes, 6-6 from free throw, 3 dimes. 41.7 Yahoo FP, +7.7 above his season average. He had to carry a heavier load than usual and he stepped up. Problem is Scottie Barnes completely disappeared. 9 points on 4-14 shooting in 35 minutes is brutal, and he's usually your 18-19 PPG guy. This is a rare stinker night for him, not a trend to panic about, but if you need him to be Scottie, he wasn't Scottie tonight.
RJ Barrett put up numbers (16 points, 7 rebounds) but shot 5-13 and needed six free throws to get there. 26.9 Yahoo FP sounds okay until you see he underperformed his season average. Not the volume scorer you need when Barnes is off.
The Bench Stuff That Mattered
Yves Missi grabbed 10 boards in 19 minutes for New Orleans and hit 26 Yahoo FP. That's monster rebounding work, and it shows what happens when he gets real run. He's averaging 5.5 RPG on the season, so that 10-rebound night was a big outlier. Don't assume this is sustainable, but it's worth watching if he keeps getting 18-20 minutes.
Jakob Poeltl for Toronto was fine enough, 8 points and 5 rebounds in 29 minutes, but he didn't do anything special defensively and came out short on the boards (5 vs his 7.4 average). Just a non-factor night.
So What Now?
The Pelicans showed they can score in volume when things click. Trey Murphy III should stay on your bench, in your starting lineup, wherever you can get him, because he's efficient and getting consistent opportunities. Dejounte Murray having an explosive shooting night is great, but I'd still treat him as the 17-18 PPG guy with assist value he's been most of the year. Tonight was a peak performance, not his new floor.
For Toronto, nothing changes the narrative much. Immanuel Quickley is still a solid contributor, Brandon Ingram is still your consistent wing, and Scottie Barnes will bounce back from a stinker. These things happen.