NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Atlanta Hawks could not buy a basket from beyond the arc Saturday night, and the New Orleans Pelicans made them pay in a 121-99 rout at the Smoothie King Center.
Atlanta went 8 for 46 on 3-pointers, a 17% night, and has now lost four of its last five to sit at 3-4. New Orleans, which opened the season 0-4, has won two straight.
The game got away early. The Pelicans shot 56% in the first quarter and scored 16 points off eight Atlanta turnovers on the way to a 35-18 lead. The Hawks never got closer than 10 points after that, trailed 63-48 at halftime and 92-74 after three, and fell behind by as many as 28.
Turnovers fed the whole night for New Orleans, which collected 15 steals and turned the Hawks’ miscues into 34 points. The Pelicans shot 57% overall while attempting only 17 threes.
CJ McCollum got a warm welcome in his first game back in the city that dealt him away in June 2025, with a tribute video and applause, then put up 14 points for Atlanta. Jalen Johnson and Asa Newell each scored 13, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kingston Flemings had 12 apiece, Lu Dort scored 11 and Aaron Wiggins chipped in 10.
Flemings was ejected in the final minutes after officials reviewed video and assessed a technical foul for an elbow to the face of Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens, which set off a brief scrum.
Saddiq Bey led New Orleans with 25 points off the bench, Jeremiah Fears scored 20, and Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III added 15 each. Karlo Matkovic pulled down 10 rebounds for a New Orleans team that has won both games since first-year coach Jamahl Mosley reshuffled his starting lineup.
The Pelicans have now scored a franchise-record 74 points off turnovers across their last two games, a number that shows how often Atlanta gave the ball away in a game it was never really in.
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