Hawks beat skidding Pelicans 124-112

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young had 12 points and 15 assists for his 15th double-double of the season, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the skidding New Orleans Pelicans 124-112 on Monday night for their fourth straight victory.

De'Andre Hunter scored a team-high 22 off the bench for the Hawks on his 27th birthday.

CJ McCollum led New Orleans with 29 points, one shy of his season high. Dejounte Murray, greeted by cheers in his first return to Atlanta since being traded by the Hawks last offseason, finished with seven points and 10 assists.

The depleted Pelicans (4-18) have lost nine in a row overall, and 11 of 12 on the road this season. The team's long injury list includes star players Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Pelicans: New Orleans bounced back a bit from a dismal offensive performance against New York on Sunday, when the Pelicans scored a season-low 85 points.

Hawks: Atlanta shooters got rolling in the second half, and seven players finished with at least 10 points. The Hawks shot 51% from the field overall.

Key moment

After a cold first half of shooting, Young hit a 3-pointer with 2:46 to go in the third quarter to give the Hawks an 80-73 lead — their largest of the game to that point. A minute later, Hunter sank another 3 to increase the margin to 10.

Key stat

Atlanta had 31 assists and has finished with 25 or more in a franchise-record 14 consecutive games.

Up Next

Atlanta plays at Milwaukee on Wednesday, while New Orleans hosts the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) grabs a rebound from New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) vies for a loose ball with New Orleans Pelicans guard Javonte Green (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

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