New Orleans Pelicans-Atlanta Hawks Preview: Injuries, Odds, How to Watch & Starters

The Atlanta Hawks didn't exactly put forth their best performance against the Cavaliers, but they matched each punch that the Cavaliers threw when crunch time came around. The 15-point deficit they had at halftime turned into a nine-point lead heading into the fourth.

Although the game came down to a truly bizarre series of shot selections from Donovan Mitchell, the Hawks showed clear progress from their dismal performance against Miami by exerting themselves in the paint and punishing Cleveland's lack of defensive cohesion.

As a team, they shot 40% from deep and outscored the Cavs in the paint by a narrow 50-46 margin. The offensive rebounding looked better too - they got six more offensive rebounds than Cleveland and that certainly played a role in a 114-111 win. Perhaps the most encouraging part was seeing Onyeka Okongwu's performance.

After a forgettable game against the Heat, Okongwu made a statement with his 29 points and 12 rebounds on a Cavs team that loves to run the double-big lineups. His progression as a true floor spacer was evident tonight - he hit four of his six threes and made up for CJ McCollum and Dyson Daniels combining for a 0-for-5 night from deep.

Surprisingly, they didn't have as many answers for James Harden as I had predicted. Harden had 24 points on 7-for-14 shooting from deep and only turned the ball over three times. However, Harden faded in the fourth and had just two shot attempts, so the Hawks were able to stymie him when they needed to.

It's a good result against a team that's probably going to challenge Atlanta for a playoff spot this season. Fortunately, things should get a bit easier against their next opponent. The New Orleans Pelicans have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, and they got their first win of the year against a similarly dismal Sacramento Kings squad.

On paper, this should be a pretty easy game for the Hawks to coast through. However, the regular season has a way of equalizing opponents, and Atlanta can't afford to be cavalier - despite their recent victory.

Game Preview

Facing Their Fears

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA — Nov 22, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears (0) looks to pass against Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the first half of the game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Anderson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jeremiah Fears certainly had his detractors coming out of the draft, but he is a legitimate two-way problem for opposing teams on certain nights. He completely stuffed the stat sheet against the Kings, scoring 22 points and dishing out 13 assists while also grabbing eight boards. The notable part of his performance is how well he played on defense for a smaller guard - he blocked a whopping four shots and also forced two steals.

The efficiency hasn't been there for Fears - he's shooting 37.7% from the field. However, the Hawks are going to have to match his all-around potential with their own backcourt strengths. Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and fellow young guard Kingston Flemings are going to have their turns guarding Fears, and it's critical that they're able to disrupt his rhythm.

He's not shooting well from deep this season (28.6% on 4.2 attempts per game), so the key is going to be for Atlanta's perimeter defenders to stop him from blowing by them and finishing at the rim, where he's shooting 60%.

Play Keep-Away

Although the Pelicans aren't necessarily a standout team in a lot of different areas, one aspect of the game they've performed well in thus far is their propensity to force steals. They're averaging 13.4 steals per game, which ranks 2nd in the NBA and speaks to their ability to punish teams that are careless with the ball.

To be clear, that doesn't mean they're a lockdown defense. They've surrendered the fifth-most points per game league-wide and that's in no small part due to their questionable rim protection. However, the Pelicans do rank 7th in the NBA in points off turnovers. There's no excuse for lazy or errant passes since there's a good chance this Pelicans squad can actually make Atlanta pay for those mistakes.

Fortunately, it's a strength for the Hawks as well. Atlanta's forced the 12th-most steals per game, but they rank 8th in points off turnovers. They can certainly strip the ball from questionable handlers like Herb Jones and Derik Queen, but other ball-handlers like Zion and even Fears aren't exactly turnover-averse. This is a good opportunity for Atlanta to get out running and punish New Orleans' mistakes.

Crush the Centers

hawks, Atlanta Hawks, Pelicans, New Orleans Pelicans — Jan 7, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) and New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) reach for a rebound during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In my opinion, this game could be a big one for Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale. New Orleans doesn't have a very mobile center core between Queen, DeAndre Jordan, and Karlo Matkovic. Both of those players are respectable shooters from deep, and I think there's an opportunity to pull some of New Orleans' already questionable rim protection away from the basket.

Furthermore, the Pelicans are 25th in offensive rebounds per game. Given that the Hawks have actually established themsleves as an above-average offensive rebounding team this season, there's a good opportunity to get some easy second-chance points against this defense.

Betting Lines (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Spread: Pelicans +4.5 (-115), Hawks -4.5 (-105)

Moneyline: Pelicans +142, Hawks -168

Total points scored: 240.5 (over -110, under -110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Injury Report

Mo Gueye and Henri Veesaar are both out for Atlanta. New Orleans will be without center Yves Missi and guard Jordan Poole.

Projected Starters

Hawks

G - CJ McCollum

G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G/F - Dyson Daniels

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Pelicans

G - Jeremiah Fears

G - Dejounte Murray

F - Trey Murphy III

F - Zion Williamson

C - Karlo Matkovic

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