NEW ORLEANS – Jalen Johnson scored 29 points and the Atlanta Hawks ended a four-game losing streak with a 126-111 win over the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.

The Pelicans’ star forward Zion Williamson was removed from the lineup shortly before the game due to a right hamstring strain, leaving Brandon Ingram as the club’s only starter in uniform.

Ingram scored 32 points, but it wasn’t enough to defeat a Hawks squad that had six players with at least 11 points.

Trae Young scored 23 points while former Pelican Dyson Daniels, returning from a two-game injury absence, added 16 for Atlanta. Larry Nance Jr. scored 14 points against his former team.

New Orleans was also without starters Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum and Herb Jones, as well as prominent reserve Trey Murphy III.

The Hawks played without starter De’Andre Hunter due to injury, as well as rotation players Bogdan Bogdanovic, Vit Krejci and Kobe Bufkin.

Takeaways

Hawks: Daniels and Nance made no secret of their satisfaction as they performed against the club that traded them last offseason as part of a deal that brought Murray to New Orleans. Nance blew the Pelicans a kiss on the bench late in the third quarter. Daniels celebrated a 3 with a hand gesture that resembled a shot at the New Orleans bench.

Pelicans: The young reserves pushed, but lacked the firepower to stick with Atlanta. Fill-in starter Jordan Hawkins scored 19 points. Reserves Brandon Boston Jr. and Jamal Cain each scored 14 points.

Key moment

The Hawks finally pulled away with a 14-0 run midway through the fourth quarter that made the score 116-97. David Roddy broke ground with a 3 and Johnson had three dunks during the sprint.

Key statistics

The Pelicans were outscored 66-32 in the paint.

Next

The Hawks host the defending champion Boston Celtics on Monday night. The Pelicans host Portland on Monday night in the second of two games in two nights.

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