No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher scored career highs with 33 points and seven rebounds to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 121-116 win over the visiting New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Risacher was 11-for-18 from the field, including 6-for-10 on 3-pointers, with three assists, three steals and two blocks to help the Hawks end a three-game home-court losing streak to the Knicks.
Atlanta also got 23 points and 10 assists from Trae Young and 23 points and 15 rebounds from Jalen Johnson. Young was able to play despite sore right ribs that caused him to miss most of the second half in their previous game against Boston on Monday.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and Miles McBride came off the bench to add 16 points and seven rebounds.
The game was tied 101-101 with 7:56 remaining. Atlanta took the lead for good on a pair of free throws and a dunk from Clint Capela, who finished with 18 points.
New York lost the final two games of its four-game road trip. Atlanta had lost five of its last six.
Risacher made five 3-pointers and scored 22 in the first half and helped the Hawks take a 65-61 lead at the break. The Hawks led 36-28, only to have New York go on a 25-10 run and grab a 53-46 lead with 4:13 remaining.
The back-and-forth theme continued in the third. Atlanta led by as many as eight, only to have New York go on a 14-4 run to take an 89-87 lead. Atlanta’s Johnson scored on a tip to tie the game at 89-all at the third-quarter buzzer.
It was the first of four meetings between the teams. They don’t play again until Jan. 20 in New York.
The Knicks played without Precious Achiuwa (left hamstring strain) and Cameron Payne (left hamstring strain). Atlanta was missing De’Andre Hunter (left knee soreness), Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy), Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder sprain), and Vit Krejci (right adductor strain).
