TORONTO (AP) – Fred VanVleet scored a career-high 34 points, Pascal Siakam fouled out with 34 points and 18 rebounds, and the defending champion Toronto Raptors beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 130-122, in overtime on Tuesday night in the NBA’s season-opening game.
Kyle Lowry scored 22 points, including a pair of free throws that put Toronto in the lead for good, and Serge Ibaka had 13 as the Raptors won their seventh straight season opener and posted their eighth win in nine meetings with the Pelicans.
Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday tied it at 122 by making a pair of free throws with 2:23 left in overtime. Lowry answered with his foul shots, VanVleet hit a corner 3, and Lowry also connected from long range to cap a decisive 8-0 run.
Brandon Ingram scored 22 points and Josh Hart had 15 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which began the season without No. 1 pick Zion Williamson. JJ Redick scored 16 points, Nicolò Melli had 14 and Holiday added 13.
Lowry made a pair of free throws to tie it 117-all with 29 seconds left in regulation, and Toronto’s Norman Powell grabbed the rebound on a missed shot by Holiday, giving the Raptors one last shot with 8.9 seconds to go.
Powell got the ball, but his long 3-pointer hit the back of the rim and bounced out, sending it to overtime.
Before the game, the Raptors received the biggest championship rings in NBA history and unfurled a banner celebrating their six-game triumph over Golden State last June.
The Raptors lost NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, and also saw guard Danny Green leave for the Lakers.
Still, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said losing a star player doesn’t always hurt a team’s fortunes.
“Bryce Harper is gone, too, but where are the Nationals?” Gentry asked rhetorically about Washington’s World Series baseball team. “I wouldn’t count these guys out just yet.”
Ingram scored 12 points and Redick had 11 as the Pelicans led 61-56 at halftime.
VanVleet scored 11 points in the third and Toronto outscored New Orleans 32-25 to take an 88-86 lead into the fourth.
