Pelicans (1-0 in preseason), Hawks (0-1)
ATLANTA – Nearly exactly a year ago, New Orleans played Atlanta in a sparsely-attended preseason game that few people paid much attention to, even across the NBA. This wasn’t that.
In Zion Williamson’s unofficial pro debut, the No. 1 overall pick generated a series of highlight-reel dunks in front of a national audience, in a Monday game that was also covered by outlets such as ESPN and the Los Angeles Times. Williamson did not disappoint, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. In a matchup of the NBA's two fastest-paced teams from last season - as well as clubs that were much better offensively than defensively throughout 2018-19 - New Orleans outran and overpowered Atlanta, holding a significant upper hand in the second and third quarters.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
New Orleans had 110 points on the scoreboard even though there were 11-plus minutes remaining in regulation. The Pelicans pulled away from the Hawks with a 46-point second quarter and kept piling it on in the third period.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Just about everyone played well for New Orleans, making it difficult to select only one Pelican. Jahlil Okafor’s name probably got lost in the shuffle at times this summer, with New Orleans making a number of headline-generating transactions. However, the center has been praised by teammates throughout the lead-up to the season for performing extremely well in voluntary workouts and training camp. One of only six returning Pelicans players, Okafor began preseason in stellar fashion, dominating Atlanta in the paint and on the backboards, totaling 11 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes. The Duke product helped set the tone early as the Pelicans went up big. Brandon Ingram picked it up from there in the second half, posting 19 total points in 23 minutes. Jrue Holiday had 21 points on only nine shots from the field.
BY THE NUMBERS
6: New Orleans players in double-digit scoring. Three Pelicans did it while playing less than 20 minutes; Nickeil Alexander-Walker netted 12 points in 15 minutes.
81: Pelicans points in the middle quarters, meaning they scored more than three points per minute in that 24-minute span.
17/45: New Orleans three-point shooting. Atlanta nearly matched the propensity to fire from deep, launching 41 treys and making 14.