Risacher Torches Brooklyn Scores 38
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
By Summar Lowe
Young’s Dazzling Assist Wows Nets Crowd
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
The Atlanta Hawks overwhelmed the Brooklyn Nets 133-109 on Thursday night at Barclays Center, leading from the opening tip and never looking back. It was a wire-to-wire win defined by Atlanta’s high-paced offense, sharp shooting, and aggressive defense.
The Hawks came out firing. Just two minutes in, they jumped to a 7-1 lead, forcing a Nets timeout with the score quickly ballooning to 10-1. Zaccharie Risacher led the charge, scoring 38 points on 15-of-20 shooting, including six threes. The rookie forward was relentless, scoring in transition, spotting up, and even drawing contact for trips to the line.
Wilson Gets No Help In Loss To Atlanta
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
Brooklyn tried to respond but struggled with turnovers and cold stretches. The Hawks shot a blistering 57.1% from the field and 41.7% from three, while the Nets managed just 40% overall.
“This is one of the worst games we’ve played this season,” said Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez postgame. Despite strong individual efforts, including a season-high 20 points from Jalen Wilson and 16 points from Tyson Etienne, Brooklyn couldn’t contain Atlanta’s offensive rhythm.
Drew Timme added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Tosan Evbuomwan dropped 18 points with three assists, trying to anchor a Nets team missing multiple key players, including D’Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas.
Atlanta’s bench gave strong support. Terance Mann scored 14, while Georges Niang added 11 off the bench. The Hawks also dominated in the paint (66 points to Brooklyn’s 24) and on fast breaks (32-25).
Trae Young, who added 24 points and 12 assists, also weighed in postgame. “We know what we have to do. We know the position we’re in. We just gotta take care of business. Obviously, we win the next game, we’re in the 8th spot.”
When asked about his flashy through-the-legs assist that led to a layup, Young added, “Obviously I’m just trying to have fun. When you make plays like that, it jolts your team and you have more energy.”
The Nets didn’t hit triple digits until the final minutes of the fourth, with Etienne sinking a deep three that gave them 100. Despite a late flurry, the deficit was never seriously threatened.
Brooklyn played in Minnesota Friday night before ending their season at home Sunday afternoon against the New York Knicks. They will not make the playoffs. Their last playoff appearance was in 2023. They were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Sports Editor Andrew Rosario contributed to this article.
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