Pelicans Beat Hawks 121-99 Behind Saddiq Bey’s 25 Points

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Atlanta Hawks 121-99 on Saturday, October 31, 2026, behind Saddiq Bey’s game-high 25 points, six rebounds and four steals. New Orleans built a 17-point first-quarter lead at Smoothie King Center and paired efficient shooting with a strong rebounding advantage to secure the home victory.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

First Quarter: Pelicans Establish a 17-Point Advantage

New Orleans took control immediately, outscoring Atlanta 35-18 in the opening quarter. That early separation established the foundation for the result: the Pelicans’ first-period advantage accounted for 17 of their eventual 22-point winning margin.

Second Quarter: Hawks Make Modest Progress

Atlanta produced its highest-scoring quarter of the night, edging New Orleans 30-28 in the second. Even with that improvement, the Hawks recovered only two points and entered halftime trailing 63-48.

Third Quarter: New Orleans Extends the Lead

The Pelicans answered with a 29-26 third quarter, increasing their advantage to 92-74. Atlanta’s stronger scoring after the opening period was not enough to meaningfully reduce the deficit at the quarter breaks.

Fourth Quarter: Pelicans Complete the Win

New Orleans outscored Atlanta 29-25 over the final 12 minutes to finish the 121-99 victory in regulation. The Pelicans scored at least 28 points in every quarter, giving them a consistent offensive base beyond their decisive opening stretch.

Key Performers

• Saddiq Bey, Pelicans: Led all scorers with 25 points and added six rebounds and four steals, delivering the game’s standout individual performance.
• Karlo Matkovic, Pelicans: Collected a team-high 10 rebounds as New Orleans finished with a 49-36 advantage on the glass.
• Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans: Led New Orleans with seven assists, helping an offense that recorded 27 assists on 43 made field goals.
• CJ McCollum, Hawks: Paced Atlanta with 14 points, though no Hawks player reached the 15-point mark.
• Kingston Flemings, Hawks: Contributed 12 points, a team-high six assists and four steals.
• Onyeka Okongwu, Hawks: Led Atlanta with 10 rebounds.

NerdSports Stat: The Pelicans and Hawks were nearly identical in two-point accuracy—61.0% versus 60.0%—but New Orleans scored 18 more points on two-pointers, making 36 to Atlanta’s 27.

Game Analysis: Efficiency Outweighs Atlanta’s Extra Attempts

The biggest statistical contrast was shooting efficiency. New Orleans made 43 of 76 field-goal attempts, shooting 56.6%, while Atlanta finished 35-for-91 at 38.5%. Despite taking 15 fewer shots, the Pelicans made eight more baskets.

Atlanta’s three-point results were especially costly. The Hawks attempted 46 threes—more than half of their total field-goal attempts—but made only eight, finishing at 17.4%. New Orleans went 7-for-17 from beyond the arc, a 41.2% conversion rate. Atlanta therefore needed 29 additional three-point attempts to produce just one more make.

The Pelicans also generated more production at the foul line, making 28 of 35 free throws compared with Atlanta’s 21 of 23. The Hawks were more accurate there at 91.3%, but New Orleans’ greater volume produced a seven-point advantage.

Rebounding and ball movement reinforced that efficiency. New Orleans finished plus-13 in rebounds and led 27-20 in assists. Combined with Bey’s scoring and defensive contributions, those advantages gave the Pelicans enough support to extend their halftime lead rather than simply protect it.

Closing Context: Pelicans Improve to 2-4

New Orleans improved to 2-4 overall and 2-2 at home, while Atlanta fell to 3-4 overall and 2-2 on the road. The interconference result gives the Pelicans another early-season win without changing either team’s conference-game record. Both return to action Monday, November 2: New Orleans hosts the Memphis Grizzlies at 5:00 p.m. PST, while Atlanta hosts the Indiana Pacers at 4:30 p.m. PST.

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