The ties between Atlanta and New Orleans run deep in pro sports. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are NFC South rivals, and although the Hawks and Pelicans don’t technically share a rivalry in the NBA, there is some of the same energy when the two teams meet on the court.
The Falcons beat the Saints 24-10 on Sunday in New Orleans. On the Saints’ final drive, Falcons defensive tackle Ruke Orhororo sacked quarterback Tyler Shaw with just over a minute remaining.
The team celebrated the game by posting Orhororo’s celebration on Instagram with the caption: “Marked safe from Derrick Queen,” referring to the Pelicans rookie. Queen got a blast on social media and reposted it on Instagram with the time and date of the Pelicans’ next game against the Hawks.
On January 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM Central Time. https://t.co/ZiLqC0bW3t
– Derrick Queen (@derikqueen1) 24 November 2025
The Pelicans acquired Quin after trading the No. 23 pick in the 2025 NBA draft and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks for their No. 13 pick, which was used to select Quin. The former Maryland Terrapins center admitted this when responding to X’s Grok AI clarification about the Falcons’ post.
The two teams will meet for the second time on January 7 after the Hawks defeated the Pelicans 115-98 on Saturday.
Queen had 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals. According to ESPN Research, this marked his third consecutive game with 20 points, making him the first Pelicans player to do so since Zion Williamson during the 2019–20 season.
Both Atlanta teams’ wins in New Orleans prompted each to troll more, but Queens may have the last laugh – the Pelicans and Hawks matchup in January is the final game of the season.
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