What happened: The New Orleans Pelicans established a 37-22 lead over the Atlanta Hawks by aggressively crashing the offensive glass. Atlanta faced persistent pressure on defensive rebounds, limiting opportunities to push the pace in transition.

Why it matters: Securing possession off the glass serves as a major focal point for Atlanta as the Hawks visit Pelicans in Saturday matchup. Without defensive rebounds, Atlanta cannot generate the open-floor scoring needed to offset New Orleans crashing the boards.

What to watch: Watch whether Atlanta can clean up defensive rebounding to ignite fast-break opportunities as the game continues. New Orleans will look to sustain interior pressure on the boards to protect its advantage.