Jalen Johnson tied his career high with 29 points, and Trae Young recorded a double-double as the Atlanta Hawks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 126-111 on Sunday night.
Young contributed 23 points and 12 assists. Former Pelicans players Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr. added 16 and 14 points, respectively, while Zaccharie Risacher and Garrison Mathews each scored 11.
Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 32 points, Jordan Hawkins added 19, and Brandon Boston Jr. and Jamal Cain each finished with 14. The Pelicans were missing star forward Zion Williamson due to a hamstring injury.
Atlanta began the third quarter strong, scoring the first seven points to lead by six before Ingram’s layup gave New Orleans their first points of the period.
Young scored eight points and had four assists, helping the Hawks push their lead to 88-77 with 3:53 left in the third. The Pelicans then cut their deficit to 93-85 by the end of the quarter with contributions from Jose Alvarado, Boston, Hawkins, and Ingram.
The Hawks increased their lead to 11 points, but the Pelicans managed to get within five twice. Johnson then scored seven points during a 14-0 run, extending the Hawks’ lead to 116-97 with 5:20 remaining.
Atlanta outscored New Orleans 68-52 in the second half.
The Hawks started strong, scoring the first seven points of the game and taking a 15-6 lead, which included seven points from Risacher. They ended the first quarter with a 33-30 lead thanks to an Alvarado fadeaway at the buzzer.
New Orleans led by as much as seven in the second quarter when Ingram made one of two free throws to put the Pelicans ahead 52-45 with 4:23 left.
Alvarado hit a jumper with 4.5 seconds remaining in the first half, giving the Pelicans a 59-58 lead at halftime.
