Pelicans’ 17-Point First Quarter Buries Hawks in 121-99 Win

New Orleans beat Atlanta 121-99, building a 17-point lead with a 35-18 first quarter. The Hawks answered with a 30-28 second, but the Pelicans still carried a 63-48 advantage into halftime and outscored Atlanta in each of the final two quarters. Saddiq Bey led New Orleans with 25 points, six rebounds, one assist, four steals, no blocks and three turnovers, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and 1-for-2 from three. Jeremiah Fears added 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists with one steal, no blocks and three turnovers, going 9-for-12 from the field and 1-for-2 from three. Zion Williamson posted 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, with no blocks and three turnovers, on 5-for-8 shooting; Trey Murphy III also scored 15, adding five rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block and two turnovers on 4-for-10 shooting. Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson had 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, no steals, one block and four turnovers, shooting 5-for-11, but the Hawks could not close the gap. New Orleans’ fast start and steady scoring after halftime turned a closeable deficit into a 22-point final margin.