New Orleans Pelicans Win Second Straight With Dominant Performance Against Hawks

The New Orleans Pelicans are officially streaking as they picked up their second win in a row, taking down the Atlanta Hawks by a score of 121-99 on Halloween night. The Pelicans improve to 2-4 for the season.

That final score was a representation of this game. It ended up feeling like the Pelicans taking out a ton of frustration from how this season began. The final stretch of the night that the starters were in saw Jeremiah Fears, Karlo Matkovic and Trey Murphy hit three straight threes before a Zion Williamson lob to Murphy before a scuffle broke out before both sides.

As New Orleans headed back to the bench they called on the fans to get loud, and they obliged. It was the most energy that the building has felt this year, despite it being a fairly empty holiday night crowd.

This was the first game where the Pelicans felt like they played a complete game. There were moments where the Hawks fought back with some small stretches, but the Pelicans always kept them at an arms length.

The main takeaway from this one is just how much better this starting lineup looks than the one that New Orleans began the year with. Perhaps things will change again when they get everybody back (Dejounte Murray missed this one with rest), but there really isn't any reason to. They have won back-to-back with the group of Fears, Herb Jones, Murphy, Williamson and Matkovic.

Everyone in that lineup was at least a +14, and three finished above +20. The grouping of talent just makes so much more sense with the players they have available. Matkovic has brought a ton of energy to the floor and was fantastic in this game. Jones continues to show why he needs starter minutes every night.

Fears continues to look much more comfortable as the lone point guard in the lineup. He finished this game with 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists. There was a point in this game where Fears hit Williamson for an easy slam and hit the goggles celebration. His confidence grows in each game.

Saddiq Bey was probably the player of the game, though, with a great night off the bench against his former team. He had 25 points on 13 shots. It was a classic Bey performance.

The Pelicans have found something that works for now, and should lean into it. Their next game is a tough one, heading on the road to take on a soon-to-be 6-0 Memphis Grizzlies squad.