Kristaps Porzingis led the Atlanta Hawks with 29 points, and Vit Krejci added 21 off the bench to guide Atlanta to a 115-98 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Saturday. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Hawks, who improved to 10-7.
Jalen Johnson narrowly missed a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, fueling a 67-45 surge over the second and third quarters that erased an early Pelicans lead. Krejci’s seven 3-pointers helped the Hawks stretch the margin.
Atlanta overcame a sluggish start with Johnson scoring nine consecutive points to spark a 15-4 run, giving the Hawks a 42-36 lead in the second quarter. Johnson contributed 11 points and Porzingis 14 in the period as Atlanta forced seven turnovers and built a 56-46 halftime advantage.
The Pelicans, playing their fifth game in seven nights, fell to 2-15 and lost their ninth straight. Zion Williamson sat out the second night of a back-to-back with a left hamstring rest, while Herb Jones missed his first game of the season with a back injury. New Orleans started three rookies for the first time: Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, and Micah Peavy.
Queen led the Pelicans with 20 points, Fears added 11, Trey Murphy III scored 19, and Saddiq Bey had 18. Dyson Daniels contributed 14 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks, who have now won eight of 11 road games this season.
Atlanta shot 47% from the field and 37% from three, while New Orleans finished with 42% shooting and 30% from long range. Porzingis was 11 of 17 from the field, and Krejci hit seven of 10 from three, providing a decisive offensive lift.
Atlanta will host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night, and the Pelicans return home to face the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
