Hawks catch Pelicans late for fifth straight victory
NEW ORLEANS -- Guard Dennis Schroder scored a game-high 23 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:13 to play, and forward Paul Millsap added a 15-foot jumper with 38 seconds left to lift the Atlanta Hawks to a 99-94 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center.
The victory was the fifth straight for Atlanta (20-16) and 10th in the last 14 games. Schroder and Millsap combined for the Hawks' final 11 points.
Before the game, the Hawks traded guard Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Mike Dunleavy Jr. and a 2019 protected first-round pick. Korver, who confirmed the trade after the game, was in uniform but did not play.
Millsap finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pelicans (14-23) were led by Anthony Davis with 20 points and 19 rebounds, but Davis was limited to 7-of-20 shooting
Atlanta built its lead to 83-76 on a layup by Kris Humphries, but Davis dropped in an alley oop lob and Holiday connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing to bring New Orleans within 83-81.
The Pelicans took the lead 88-85 on a dunk by Davis, who took a great feed in the lane from Holiday, but Tim Hardaway tied it at 88 with a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:42 left.
Hardaway hit a pair of 3-pointers and Malcolm Delaney finished out the third quarter with three foul shots after being behind the arc to give Atlanta a 75-72 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Davis picked up two quick fouls and was held to four points and three rebounds in the first half. He struggled from the field, missing five of his first six shots.
The Pelicans used a 10-0 run at the end of the first quarter to take a 28-23 lead and had another 10-0 in the second quarter to take a 47-42 halftime lead. Holiday had 12 points for New Orleans in the first half.
The Hawks were led by Howard and Schroder with 10 points apiece.
With rumors of the trade swirling, Korver warmed up with his teammates just 10 minute before the tip, but remained on the bench when coach Mike Budenholzer went to his first substitutions, a sure sign Korver was gone.
Then when the Hawks came out for the third quarter, Korver came out of the locker room with 90 seconds left and rebounded the ball under the rim for his teammates.
In 32 games this season, the 14-year NBA veteran averaged 9.5 points on 44.1 percent shooting, including 40.9 percent from long range.
NOTES: The NBA released the initial results of fan balloting for the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Feb. 19, and Pelicans F Anthony Davis was ranked No. 4 among frontcourt players in the Western Conference behind Kevin Durant and Zaza Pachulia of Golden State and Kawhi Leonard of San Antonio. With 318,144 votes, Davis is 223,065 votes behind Durant. ... The Atlanta Hawks had no players in the Top 10 in the frontcourt or backcourt for the Eastern Conference. ... The Pelicans did not activate newly acquired C Donatas Motiejunas for the game. Coach Alvin Gentry said he wanted Motiejunas to get his legs under him after not having played in eight months. He will play on the Pelicans' upcoming five-game road trip. ... New Orleans G Tyreke Evans tweaked his back Wednesday in practice, but the injury is not considered serious.