Zaccharie Risacher shines in Brooklyn: career-high and strong statement in ROTY race
Two days after celebrating his twentieth birthday, Zaccharie Risacher (6’9″, 20 years old) celebrated in style: with an offensive masterclass. This Thursday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the French forward for the Atlanta Hawks set his new career high with 38 points, leading his team to a comfortable victory (133-109).
The latest NBA Draft’s #1 pick shone from the start with an almost perfect first quarter and finished with 15 made shots on 20 attempts, including 6/11 from three-point range and a perfect 9/9 on two-pointers. Only his free throws (2/5) prevented him from reaching 40 points.
A one-sided game, a brilliant Risacher
By halftime, Zaccharie Risacher already had 23 points, securing his fourth 20+ point half this season. The Hawks led 69-45 and were never threatened. The former JL Bourg player connected on fast breaks, threw down multiple dunks, and feasted against an overly soft Nets team.
CAREER NIGHT FOR ZACCHARIE RISACHER 🚨
💪 38 PTS (career-high)
💪 4 REB
💪 2 STL
💪 6 3PM pic.twitter.com/4sIArQCVyx— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2025
His teammate Trae Young added 24 points and 12 assists, while Dyson Daniels nearly recorded a triple-double: 10 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. For the Nets, only Jalen Wilson (20 points) showed any life.
The only rookie with multiple 35-point games
With this performance, Risacher becomes the only rookie this season with multiple 35+ point games. Even more impressive, he joins Allen Iverson as the only #1 Draft picks to achieve multiple games with 35+ points and 5+ three-pointers in their rookie season. A telling statistic.
Allen Iverson (1996-97): 7
Trae Young (2018-19): 5
Zaccharie Risacher (2024-25): 4***
Donovan Mitchell (2017-18) 4
Jalen Green (2021-22): 4
Brandon Miller (2023-24): 4— Hawks PR (@HawksPR) April 11, 2025
« I don’t feel like I’m 20. I’ve been a man since I was 16, » he told Tabitha Turner in the post-game interview.
ROTY as ultimate reward?
Even though he appears to be slightly behind Spurs’ Stephon Castle (6’6″, 20 years old) in the Rookie of the Year race, Zaccharie Risacher is having a remarkable end to the season. With four 30+ point games, he’s proving he’s already one of the best scorers of his generation. He’ll be tested next week in the play-in tournament, likely against the Magic or Heat, with a potential playoff spot against the Cavs or Celtics on the line. A true character test, one year after competing in the EuroCup final with JL Bourg.
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