NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans, minus Zion Williamson, fought hard but fell short against the Atlanta Hawks, losing 126-111 at the Smoothie King Center. Despite an explosive 32-point effort from Brandon Ingram, New Orleans couldn’t keep pace with Atlanta’s efficient scoring and dominant presence in the paint. The Pelicans struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm, shooting just 43% from the floor compared to the Hawks’ 57%.
Ingram led the Pelicans with his best shooting night of the season, going 12-for-19 from the field and sinking four three-pointers. Jordan Hawkins stepped up with 19 points in his third start of the season, while reserves Brandon Boston Jr. and Jamal Cain added 14 points each to help cover the scoring gap left by the numerous missing starters.
New Orleans showed resilience in the first half, mounting a 17-4 run to take a seven-point lead midway through the second quarter and holding a slim 59-58 edge at halftime. However, the Hawks surged in the third, going on a 14-4 run to extend their lead to double digits. Despite a late push that brought them within five points early in the fourth quarter, the Pelicans couldn’t contain Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, who scored a career-high 29 points, or Trae Young, who finished with 23 points and 12 assists.
Turnovers proved costly, as New Orleans’ 18 giveaways resulted in 24 points for Atlanta, while the Pelicans scored 19 points off Atlanta’s mistakes. The Hawks dominated New Orleans 66-32 in the paint, showcasing efficiency and physicality that the Pelicans couldn’t match on this night. Rookie Yves Missi had his worst game of the season against the veteran Clint Capela and the Pelicans could not convert several opportunities around the basket.
With the loss, New Orleans drops to 3-4 on the season, highlighting the challenges of their current injury-plagued roster. The Pelicans will look to regroup quickly with a back-to-back on Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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