Saddiq Bey leads the scoring off the bench, Jeremiah Fears follows up his breakout performance and New Orleans turns a fast start into its second consecutive victory.

halloWIN#Pelicans | @HancockWhitney pic.twitter.com/mBGc9VMvv6

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 1, 2026

NEW ORLEANS — The Pelicans gave their fans a Halloween night worth enjoying from start to finish. New Orleans defeated the Atlanta Hawks 121–99 Saturday at Smoothie King Center, following its first win of the season with a much more comfortable result.

Saddiq Bey supplied 25 points off the bench, and Jeremiah Fears added 20. The Pelicans built their advantage early, kept it through the middle quarters and finished with a 22-point margin.

New Orleans improved to 2–4 after opening the season with four losses. Two victories do not settle the season’s larger questions, but they give Jamahl Mosley something useful: consecutive examples of his team creating an advantage and bringing it home.

The quick read

• Result: New Orleans 121, Atlanta 99.
• Leading scorer: Bey delivered 25 off the bench on 9-for-13 shooting.
• Backcourt contribution: Fears scored 20, following his strong outing against Sacramento.
• The difference: A fast start and an Atlanta offense that struggled to convert shots.
• The bigger picture: The Pelicans have won two straight after their 0–4 start.

Bey gave New Orleans a major lift

Bey’s scoring efficiency was a central part of the result. Atlanta News First’s postgame report credited him with nine makes in 13 field-goal attempts. That production came from the bench, giving New Orleans a substantial contribution outside its starting group.

It is the kind of performance that changes the demands on everyone around him. A reserve who can produce that efficiently gives the offense another place to turn and reduces the pressure on the starters to answer every difficult stretch themselves.

For Mosley, the value extends to how he evaluates his combinations. Productive bench minutes create options. The coaching staff can look at which groups keep the offense functioning and which players help sustain an advantage when the opening lineup changes.

Bey provided a strong example of that value against a franchise he previously played for. His work helped turn New Orleans’ second win into a convincing one.

Fears backed up the Kings performance

Fears’ follow-up was another encouraging development. Two nights after producing 22 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds against Sacramento, he again gave New Orleans meaningful scoring. Sportsnet’s postgame highlights summary confirmed his 20-point contribution against Atlanta.

The follow-up matters because one outstanding night creates an opening; a second productive game gives the coaching staff more evidence to assess. Fears has put together consecutive performances that deserve attention as New Orleans evaluates its backcourt responsibilities.

The availability context also matters. Dejounte Murray was ruled out for personal reasons, while Jordan Poole and Yves Missi were sidelined with ankle and knee injuries, respectively. Fears’ opportunity arrived in a rotation missing important contributors.

The useful question now is how his role develops as the available personnel changes. Mosley has recent evidence of what Fears can contribute when given meaningful responsibility. Sustaining that production and decision-making will determine how much of this stretch carries forward.

The opening quarter changed the game

The NBA game feed showed New Orleans ahead 35–18 after the first quarter and 63–48 at halftime. The Pelicans had created separation before the game reached its middle stages.

That cushion gave New Orleans room to manage Atlanta’s responses. It also put the burden on the visitors to produce several successful stretches simply to get back within reach.

By the end of the third quarter, the Pelicans led 92–74. They had carried their early advantage into the final period, then extended the margin again before the game ended.

That progression is a useful part of the story. New Orleans did more than enjoy a good opening burst. It kept enough control over the remaining quarters to turn the lead into a decisive final score.

A much stronger defensive result

Atlanta News First reported that the Hawks shot approximately 38 percent from the field and 17 percent from three-point range. CJ McCollum led Atlanta with 14 points. The visitors finished below the century mark and fell to 3–4.

Those numbers describe a favorable defensive outcome for New Orleans. They do not, on their own, explain the quality of every shot Atlanta attempted. A poor shooting night can reflect both defensive work and missed opportunities; judging the contribution of each requires a closer possession-by-possession review.

The practical result was clear. The Pelicans did not need to keep answering a high-scoring opponent throughout the night. Their early offense created the advantage, and Atlanta’s struggles to convert helped New Orleans preserve it.

That is a useful result for a team trying to establish more dependable habits. Mosley can build from a game in which the scoreboard rewarded control over several quarters, while continuing to evaluate the details that made it possible.

Atlanta’s injury situation belongs in the account

Jalen Johnson did not return for the fourth quarter because of an ankle issue, according to RotoWire’s postgame report. He finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes.

New Orleans already held a substantial lead entering the fourth. Johnson’s absence is relevant context for the closing period, while the Pelicans’ separation had been established earlier. The report did not establish a recovery timetable, so no longer-term conclusion should be drawn from Saturday’s exit.

What this win means for the Pelicans

Thursday’s victory stopped the losing streak. Saturday gave New Orleans a chance to build momentum, with a different leading scorer and a much lower opponent total.

There is value in that variety. A team benefits when a reserve can lead its scoring and a developing guard can produce on consecutive nights. Those contributions give the coaching staff more to work with as it sorts out minutes, combinations and responsibilities.

The standard now is repeatability. Bey will not shoot this efficiently every night, and opponents will not always struggle this much from deep. New Orleans needs the underlying execution to remain useful when the margins are tighter.

For now, the Pelicans have earned the opportunity to approach the next game with something more tangible than a close loss or an explanation. They have two consecutive wins and recent performances worth building on.

Next: a road test in Memphis

New Orleans visits Memphis on Monday, November 2, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Central at FedExForum.

The next challenge is carrying the progress away from home: finding production throughout the rotation, keeping possessions organized and giving itself a chance to control the game when the opponent responds.

On Halloween, Bey delivered the biggest scoring night, Fears kept his productive stretch going and the Pelicans finished with room to spare. New Orleans has a winning streak. Now comes the work of extending it.

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