The Hawks get 29 points from Jalen Johnson, the Pelicans' best

Jalen Johnson scored a career-high 29 points, Trae Young posted a double-double and the visiting Atlanta Hawks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 126-111 on Sunday night.

Young finished with 23 points and 12 assists, former Pelicans Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr. scored 16 and 14 points, respectively, and No. 1 overall picks Zaccharie Risacher and Garrison Mathews added 11 each.

Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, Jordan Hawkins added 19 and Brandon Boston Jr. and Jamal Cain each scored 14 points to lead the Pelicans, who played without star forward Zion Williamson (hamstring).

Atlanta scored the first seven points of the third quarter and took a six-point lead before Ingram's layup gave New Orleans its first points of the quarter.

Young had eight points and four assists as the Hawks extended their lead to 88-77 with 3:53 left in the third. Jose Alvarado, Boston, Hawkins and Ingram then scored two points each as the Pelicans cut their deficit to 93-85 by the end of the quarter.

Atlanta extended its lead to 11 points before the Pelicans closed within five points twice, but Johnson scored seven points in a 14-0 run that gave the Hawks a commanding lead, 116-97, with 5:20 to play.

Atlanta outscored New Orleans 68-52 in the second half.

The Hawks scored the first seven points of the game before jumping out to a 15-6 lead, which included seven points from Risacher. Atlanta had to settle for a 33-30 lead after 12 minutes because Alvarado went off at the buzzer.

New Orleans took the lead by as many as seven in the second quarter when Ingram sank one of two free throws to give the hosts a 52-45 lead with 4:23 left.

Alvarado made a jumper with 4.5 seconds left in the first half, sending the Pelicans into halftime with a 59-58 lead.

–Field level media