Hawks’ No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher has career night vs. Knicks

Welcome to the NBA, Zaccharie Risacher.

The No. 1 overall selection by the Atlanta Hawks this past summer, Risacher made his ninth-career game in the NBA his best yet.

At home against the New York Knicks, an expected top contender in the Eastern Conference, Risacher led Atlanta in scoring en route to a 121-116 win.

Risacher posted 33 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks while shooting 11 of 18 overall, 6 of 10 from deep and 5 of 9 from the foul line. He became the first ever rookie in history to reach those numbers in a game.

The points, shooting percentage, threes made, rebounds, steals and blocks were all career highs. He also didn’t record a turnover.

Risacher illustrated the silky stretch forward attributes of his that made him the top pick in a draft where there weren’t many clear-cut elite prospects.

The win moved Atlanta to 4-5 while the Knicks dropped to 3-4.

Trae Young added 23 points on 7 of 21 shooting, while fellow promising prospect Jalen Johnson put up 23 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists on 10 of 18 shooting.

Zaccharie Risacher is a projected top-two pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and is the son of an Olympian and French Hall of Famer.