Jalen Johnson had an impressive performance, scoring 29 points to help the Atlanta Hawks secure a 126-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans, missing key players like Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Herb Jones, struggled to keep up with the Hawks.
Brandon Ingram put up a good fight for the Pelicans with 32 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the balanced scoring effort from the Hawks. Trae Young contributed 23 points, Dyson Daniels added 16 after returning from injury, and Larry Nance Jr. scored 14 against his former team.
It was a special victory for Daniels and Nance, who both had strong performances against the team that traded them to acquire Dejounte Murray. Nance even showed his emotions by blowing a kiss to the Pelicans’ bench after hitting a 3-pointer.
The Hawks dominated the paint, outscoring the Pelicans 66-32 in that area. A crucial 14-0 run in the fourth quarter helped the Hawks pull away for good, securing the much-needed win to end their four-game losing streak.
Looking ahead, the Hawks will face the defending champion Boston Celtics, while the Pelicans will take on Portland in a back-to-back game on Monday night. Despite missing key players, the Pelicans will look to bounce back and put up a stronger performance in their next game.
