On Tuesday night, the Atlanta Hawks took on the Orlando Magic, where they won 127-112. It was the first game back home after a four game road trip where Atlanta went 2-2. This was a great chance for the team to get back to .500, and they did not disappoint.
In order to pick up a win against a division rival without their star guard, Atlanta needed a major boost from someone else in the starting lineup. To their luck, this boost came from a forward who had been struggling mightily ahead of Tuesday's matchup.
Zaccharie Risacher, last year's first overall pick, was in the midst of an early-season sophomore slump. Coming into the game, the 20-year-old forward was averaging 9.4 points per game, a significant drop off from last year. His efficiency was also down, with splits of 42.2% from the floor and 31.6% from deep.
It did not take long for Zaccharie to break out of his slump.
Risacher had an electric first few minutes of the game. Atlanta's first basket of the night came when he knocked down a heavily contested three. He followed that up with two consecutive and-ones, scoring all of the team's first nine points.
A few possessions later, he failed to connect with Jalen Johnson on a lob, but he got his own rebound and drained the floater. This basket put him in double-digits, finishing the quarter with 11 points.
His shot selection remained the same in the second quarter. He continued letting it fly with a whole new level of confidence. At halftime, Risacher had 16 points and 3 rebounds on 6/10 from the floor and 2/5 from beyond the arc.
His third quarter was not nearly as electric as the first two, but he still made an impact on both ends of the floor and knocked down a three. By the start of the fourth quarter, Orlando looked defeated. The deficit had reached 21 points, and there was little hope for a comeback.
THREESACHER STRIKES AGAIN
— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) November 5, 2025
Risacher played the first five minutes of the final quarter before checking out. In those few minutes, he put the ball in the basket one more time to help secure the victory.
He finished the night with 21 points in 26 minutes, along with 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. His ability to dominate the box score while playing lower-than-average minutes for a starter is a part of what makes Risacher's game special.
A standout performance like this was needed. Having struggled for the first several games of the season, seeing a quality performance lead to an important win could make all the difference in his shot selection going forward.