TORONTO - There's no better teacher than father time, says Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey.

Jonas Valanciunas is proving him right.

The 23-year-old centre had 20 points and 10 rebounds in another solid outing to lift the Toronto Raptors 100-81 over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

"Maturity, that's the main thing. Jonas is growing up," Casey said. "Everybody wanted him to be this superstar when he first (arrived from Lithuania). . . and that's hard to do in this league."

Kyle Lowry added 20 points, while DeMar DeRozan had 15 points to go with 11 assists.

DeMarre Carroll, in his first game back after missing three straight with a heel injury, added 11 points for Toronto (7-3).

But it was largely Valanciunas who kept Toronto in the game through a lacklustre first half that saw the Raptors trail by nine points. The big man shot 8-for-11 from the field on the night, showing up to the Air Canada Centre with a freshly-shaved bald head, on which DeRozan gleefully remarked: "I hate it."

But DeRozan had nothing but kind things to say about Valanciunas's game.

"It's just experience. Getting a lot more comfortable, understanding spacing on the floor when we drive, we're always looking for him, to try to get him easy buckets, when we're driving to the basket," DeRozan said.

Patrick Patterson also gave praise.

"I'm so proud of Jonas, I'm hoping he makes all-star," Patterson said. "As long as we win, as long as we play well, Jonas, he worked so hard in the summertime, everything is starting to pay off for him."

Eric Gordon scored a game-high 30 points for the struggling Pelicans (1-8), while Jrue Holiday added 19.

New Orleans centre and Frenchman Alexis Ajinca — who played with "Pray for Paris" written on his shoes, just hours after the horrific terrorist attacks across Paris — managed to score 10 points and grab nine boards, but said his thoughts were with his family back home.

"It is just a crazy world," Ajinca said. "You think you are safe and you are just walking down the street and the next thing you know, people start shooting. It is just crazy.

"Pretty much all my family is in Paris, and I just found out that everybody is OK now. During the whole game, I was trying to get this out of my mind so I could stay focused."

After their plodding first half, the Raptors turned it on in the third quarter, and led 72-61 heading into the fourth.

It was all Raptors down the stretch. And when Cory Joseph followed up his three with a fadeaway jumper, Toronto had pulled ahead by 22 points in front of a capacity ACC crowd of 19,800 that included NBA hall of famer Dikembe Mutombo and Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who chucked autographed mini footballs into the crowd during a timeout.

Carroll, the Raptors' most significant off-season acquisition, had been sidelined with plantar fasciitis — an often-chronic injury to the ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot.

"It felt great," Carroll said. "My timing was off in the first half, but it felt great to be out there with my teammates."

Carroll played 33 minutes — the Raptors hadn't wanted him to return until he was at full strength.

Carroll said the foot felt good, but would have a better idea of any ill-effects Saturday morning. He left the post-game locker-room with a "million things in my shoe. Heel lift. Arch support. All kinds of things."

Valanciunas made his first three shots of the game to lead the way for Toronto in the first quarter. But Gordon exploded for 16 first-quarter points to put the Pelicans up 21-17 heading into the second.

Valanciunas continued to carry the Raptors through the second quarter, and when DeRozan banked in a three with just under four minutes to play, it sparked a 10-2 Raptors run, sending the game into the halftime break tied 40-40.

Toronto came to life in a third quarter punctuated by a massive DeRozan one-handed alley-oop dunk from Lowry. The Raptors took an 11-point lead into the fourth.

The Raptors head west for a five-game road trip that opens Sunday in Sacramento, and sees them play Golden State, Utah, and both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.