New Orleans Pelicans 121, Atlanta Hawks 99 — The New Orleans Pelicans turned a fast start into a decisive home victory on November 1, 2026, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 121-99 behind balanced scoring and a defense that never allowed the visitors to settle into a comfortable rhythm. New Orleans led for nearly the entire night and broke the game open in the third quarter, turning a competitive first half into a comfortable double-digit result.

Game overview

The Pelicans set the tone early with a 32-24 first quarter, attacking the paint and pushing the pace after Atlanta misses. Atlanta stayed within striking distance through the first half thanks to Trae Young’s shot creation and some timely second-chance baskets, but New Orleans carried a 61-52 lead into halftime. The decisive stretch came in the third quarter, when the Pelicans opened with a 15-2 run and held Atlanta to just 21 points in the period. By the start of the fourth, New Orleans led 94-73 and the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Key moments

The turning point arrived early in the third quarter. New Orleans forced three turnovers in less than two minutes, converted each into transition points, and capped the burst with a corner three that pushed the lead to 20. Atlanta called timeout, but the Pelicans kept controlling the glass and refused to let Young turn the game into a single-possession contest. A late fourth-quarter run from the Hawks’ bench trimmed the margin slightly, but New Orleans answered with a pair of timely buckets inside to end any comeback hopes.

Standout performers

• Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 27 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, repeatedly breaking Atlanta’s interior defense.
• Trey Murphy III added 21 points and knocked down several momentum-swinging three-pointers.
• CJ McCollum finished with 18 points and controlled stretches of the offense when Atlanta threatened to close the gap.
• Dejounte Murray contributed 16 points and eight assists against his former team, helping New Orleans win the turnover battle.
• For Atlanta, Trae Young scored 24 points with 10 assists, while Jalen Johnson added 18 points and eight rebounds.

Tactical story

New Orleans won this game at the point of attack. The Pelicans generated easy looks by attacking the rim early and then used that interior threat to open up perimeter shots. Defensively, they crowded Young’s pick-and-roll reads, forced him into contested pull-ups, and limited Atlanta’s clean catch-and-shoot opportunities. The Hawks shot well enough in isolation but struggled to string together stops, and New Orleans’ 30-plus points in the paint helped sustain separation throughout the second half.

Season impact

The win gives New Orleans a valuable home result and a strong early-season reference point for its defensive identity. For Atlanta, the loss highlights the importance of finding secondary scoring when Young is pressured and of protecting the ball on the road. The head-to-head result also gives the Pelicans an early edge in any future tiebreaker discussion, while the Hawks will need a sharper response in their next matchup.