Ingram scores 30, Pelicans down Hawks for 3rd straight win

NEW ORLEANS(AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 30 points, CJ McCollum added 21 andthe New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Atlanta Hawks 116-107 onTuesday night for their third straight victory.

JonasValanciunas, returning from a one-game absence because of a soreright quadriceps muscle, had 16 points and 14 rebounds for NewOrleans.

The Pelicansled 111-95 when Trey Murphy III hit his fourth 3-pointer of thegame with 3:24 to go.

Atlantaresponded with a 7-0 run to cut the Pelicans’ lead to nine with1:49 left. Ingram briefly stemmed the run with a driving layup intraffic, but John Collins hit a turnaround and Trae Young hit a 3from 29 feet to make it a two-possession game with 43 secondsleft.

Atlanta thenfouled Herb Jones, who hit two free throws and then blocked BogdanBogdanovic’s 3-pointer to help the Pelicans hold on. Jones finishedwith 11 points and nine rebounds. Murphy scored 16 for thePelicans, whose current winning streak has come on the heels of a10-game skid.

Bogdanovicscored 22 points for Atlanta and Dejounte Murray, who playeddespite being listed as questionable with a migraine earlier in theday, scored 19. Young had 16 points and 16 assists, and Collinsfinished with 15 points.

Atlantamissed its first six shots and trailed 12-2 before recovering totie the game at 23 on Young’s 3-pointer late in the firstquarter.

The gameremained close for the rest of the half, and the Pelicans led 62-59at halftime after McCollum hit a 3-pointers on consecutivepossessions.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Closedout their road trip at 2-3. ... Had 30 assists, giving them atleast 25 in five straight games, the team’s longest such streakthis season. ... De’Andre Hunter, who came in having scored atleast 10 points in 16 straight, had three points.

Pelicans:All-Star forward Zion Williamson (right hamstring) missed his 19thstraight game. Coach Willie Green said Williamson continued to be“day to day” and that it was unclear whether he would play beforethe All-Star break. ... Outscored Atlanta in the paint, 56-40. ...Converted 13 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points.