Most NBA teams are downsizing these days, but New Orleans has often gone the other way lately, relying on a two-big lineup featuring Jonas Valanciunas and Jaxson Hayes. Facing a Toronto team that relies heavily on athleticism and small lineups, the Pelicans’ jumbo combination made the Raptors pay for that size disadvantage, dominating points in the paint en route to a one-sided win. The 30-point margin was New Orleans’ largest of 2021-22, with the previous most being a 25-point triumph over Washington on Thanksgiving Eve.
The large margin of victory came at an optimal time, with New Orleans set to play again Tuesday in a home/home back-to-back against red-hot Memphis, the Western Conference’s third-best team.