VanVleet scores career-high 34, Raptors top Pelicans 130-122

TORONTO (AP) — Fred VanVleet scored a career-high 34 points, Pascal Siakam fouled out with 34 points and 18 rebounds, and defending champion Toronto Raptors beat New Orleans Pelicans 130-122 in overtime on Tuesday night in NBA’s season-opening game.

Kyle Lowry scored 22 points, including a pair of free throws that put Toronto in lead for good, and Serge Ibaka had 13 as Raptors won ir seventh straight season opener and posted ir eighth win in nine meetings with 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 season without . 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 rman Powell grabbed rebound on a missed shot by Holiday, giving Raptors one last shot with 8.9 seconds to go.

Powell got ball, but his long 3-pointer hit back of rim and bounced out, sending it to overtime. Before game, Raptors received biggest championship rings in NBA history and unfurled a banner celebrating ir six-game triumph over Golden State last June. Raptors lost NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to Los Angeles Clippers in free ncy, and also saw guard Danny Green leave for 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 Nationals?” Gentry asked rhetorically about Washington’s World Series baseball team. “I wouldn’t count se guys out just yet.” Ingram scored 12 points and Redick had 11 as Pelicans led 61-56 at halftime.

VanVleet scored 11 points in third and Toronto outscored New Orleans 32-25 to take an 88-86 lead into fourth.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Williamson is expected to miss at least six weeks after right knee surgery Monday. 6-foot-6, 285-pound former Duke star averd 23.2 points in four preseason games. He missed New Orleans’ final exhibition game in New York last Friday night.

Raptors: Toronto was without forwards Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (left groin) and Patrick McCaw (left knee).

CHARGES FOR UJIRI

California prosecutors said Tuesday y won’t charge Raptors President Masai Ujiri for an altercation with a sheriff’s deputy after NBA championship clincher in Oakland last June. DA’s office said it met with Ujiri and his attorneys Monday and decided matter was better handled “outside of courtroom.”

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Host Dallas on Friday.

Raptors: At Boston on Friday.