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Atlanta Hawks

NBA Draft: Hawks Pick Risacher at No. 1

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BROOKLYN – (Staff and wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Hawks selected forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

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Risacher comes out of France, where he most recently played for JL Bourg-en-Bresse of LNB Elite, the country’s premier division of professional basketball.

In 32 games last season, Risacher averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists for JL Bourg. The 19-year-old is 6-foot-9 and weighed in at 195 pounds at the draft combine back in May.

Atlanta does not own another pick in this year’s draft, which has been split into two days. Wednesday’s first round is being held at Barclays Center in New York. ESPN’s Seaport District Studios — also in New York — will host the second round.

The Washington Wizards will be on the clock next.

–Field Level Media

Atlanta Hawks Win NBA Lottery

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The NBA Draft Lottery has been completed, the order has been doled out and the Atlanta Hawks beat the odds to come out on top, when they were granted the top overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.

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It is the first time the Hawks have won the top choice via draft lottery in franchise history. They had the No. 1 overall pick in 1975, via the New Orleans Jazz, and selected David Thompson (who chose to play for the ABA’s Denver Nuggets).

Triumphant Hawks general manager Landry Fields celebrated the reveal Sunday afternoon on live television as the team’s onsite representative when the order of the top two selections was revealed.

Fields flashed a toothy grin when the Washington Wizards — who had the second worst record in the NBA at 15-67 last year — were announced to have landed in the second spot, giving the top choice to Atlanta.

The Hawks (36-46) had just a three percent chance at receiving the top choice, as opposed to a 65.91 percent chance at picking tenth overall. It is the fifth lowest odds all time for a team to wind up with the top selection in the lottery.

The Houston Rockets will select third, while the San Antonio Spurs are at No. 4.

Despite having the league’s worst record at 14-68, and the best odds at winning the lottery, the Detroit Pistons fell all the way to the fifth choice.

Rounding out the top ten will be the Charlotte Hornets (No. 6), Portland Trail Blazers (No. 7), Spurs (No. 8), Memphis Grizzlies (No. 9) and Utah Jazz (No. 10).

The Chicago Bulls will pick 11th, while the Oklahoma City Thunder are 12th. The Sacramento Kings are 13th and the Trail Blazers are 14th.

–Field Level Media

Hawks Sink Celtics, 123-122

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Hawks scoring machine Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 44 points, including the game-winning basket with 0.1 seconds remaining in overtime, to give  Atlanta a 123-122 win over the visiting Boston Celtics on Thursday.

The Celtics took a 122-121 lead with 6.2 seconds left on Jaylen Brown’s jumper. After a timeout, the Hawks got the ball to Murray, who drove to the top of the key and shot the winning jumper over Jrue Holiday.

The win gives the Hawks a four-game winning streak and two wins over the league-leading Celtics this week. The win pulled Atlanta to within one game of No. 9 Chicago in the race for the NBA’s play-in tournament.

Murray took a career-high 44 shots, making 18, and had seven rebounds and seven assists in almost 47 minutes.

Atlanta (34-39) also got 24 points from Bogdan Bogdanovic and 21 points and 13 rebounds from De’Andre Hunter. Clint Capela added 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Boston (57-16) was led by Tatum with 31 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Derrick White added 22 points and seven rebounds, Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 and Brown added 18.

The win gave Atlanta a split in the four-game season series with Boston.

The Hawks tied the game at 112-112 with 27.2 seconds remaining in regulation on a 3-pointer by Bogdan Bogdanovic. Boston had a chance to win, but Tatum’s long 3-pointer missed.

Unlike Monday’s game, when Boston had a 30-point lead in the first half, the rematch was close. There were 12 lead changes and six ties in the high-energy half, which Boston led 63-59 at intermission. Boston shot 12 free throws in the first half, making 11, while Atlanta missed its only free throw.

Neither team led by more than five points in the third quarter and the margin was no larger than three over the final 7 1/2 minutes and Boston led 90-89 entering the fourth quarter.

The Hawks conclude their five-game homestand on Saturday against Milwaukee. The Celtics make the fifth stop of their six-game road trip on Saturday at New Orleans.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Look to Avenge Loss

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will get a chance to avenge their embarrassing Monday meltdown against the Hawks when the teams meet for the second time this week.

The host Hawks overcame a 30-point deficit and ended Boston’s nine-game winning streak with a 120-118 victory. It was the biggest comeback in Hawks history and the largest comeback in the NBA this season.

“We let our foot off the gas in the second half and they got a great rhythm,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis added, “You give (hope) to that type of team, you relax too much and give them some open looks, those guys can make shots. They’re an offensive-minded team and they got it going and then it’s a tough battle to kind of bring it back to what we wanted. We just gave them too much life.”

Boston leads the season series 2-1, having won the first two games in Boston, 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7.

The Celtics remained in Atlanta between games for the two-game series. But in a scheduling quirk, the Hawks hosted — and beat — the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

“It’s weird playing (Boston) on a back-to-back, but there’s no excuses in this league,” Atlanta’s Garrison Mathews said. “We’ve got to come ready to play. We know they’re going to try to get us back and we have to come ready to play.”

Atlanta (33-39) has won three in a row after its 120-106 win over Portland and remains 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks were unable to pick up ground Wednesday on the ninth-place Chicago Bulls, who won to remain 1 1/2 games ahead, but also did not lose ground to the 11th-place Brooklyn Nets, who also won and trail Atlanta by 5 1/2 games.

The Hawks continue to ride the offense of Dejounte Murray. He scored 30 points against the Blazers and has put up 28-plus in three of his past four games.

Atlanta, playing without three starters and a key reserve, is getting contributions from different backups each night. Mathews scored a season-high 21 points against Portland. Vit Krejci matched his career high with 16 points vs. Boston.

“This team has been unselfish,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said.

Boston (57-15) has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, owns the best road record in the league (25-12), has the best offensive rating in the NBA (122.5) and ranks second in defensive rating (110.7). Last season, the Celtics became the third team in NBA history to finish in the top three in both offensive and defensive rating.

The Celtics logged their 17th 70-point first half of the season on Monday, a franchise record that matches the NBA record for a single season.

The Hawks announced Wednesday that All-Star Trae Young has made a positive recovery in his recovery from surgery to repair a ligament in the little finger of his left hand. Young has missed 16 games since being hurt in the Feb. 23 game against Toronto. The team has not provided a timetable for his return to play.

The Atlanta lineup also remains without Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain), Saddiq Bey (torn left ACL) and key reserve Onyeka Okongwu (sprained left toe).

–Field Level Media

Celtics Blow 30-Point Lead, Lose to ATL

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray scored 19 points, dished 15 assists and made the go-ahead basket with one minute left to help the Hawks overcome a 30-point deficit and stun the visiting Boston Celtics 120-118 on Monday.

De’Andre Hunter followed with a 3-pointer to up Atlanta’s lead to four points with 10 seconds remaining. Jayson Tatum scored on a tip-in with one second left for Boston, but Atlanta was able to inbound the ball after a timeout to run out the clock.

It was only the ninth time in NBA history that a team has come back from a 30-point deficit to win a game, according to the Hawks’ radio network.

Boston (57-15) saw its nine-game winning streak end and failed in a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta (32-39) improved to 1-2 against the Celtics this season and ended a six-game losing streak vs. Boston. The teams will meet again in Atlanta on Thursday.

The Celtics led 68-38 in the second quarter, but Atlanta went on an 18-6 run to cut the lead to 74-56 at halftime. The momentum carried over and the Hawks twice got as close as three points in the third quarter before Boston led 96-90 going into the fourth.

Atlanta took the lead for the first time on a 3-pointer by Wesley Matthews with 9:58 left.

Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 22. Vit Krejci matched his career high with 16 points, hitting four 3-pointers.

Boston got 37 points and eight rebounds from Tatum, 24 points from Jaylen Brown and 17 points from Kristaps Porzingis. Payton Pritchard finished with 15 points and six assists.

The Hawks were playing without three starters — Trae Young (finger), Jalen Johnson (ankle) and Saddiq Bey (knee) — and backup center Onyeka Okongwu (toe).

The Celtics jumped out quickly against the short-handed Hawks. Boston shot 66.7 percent (16-for-24) in the first quarter, didn’t commit a turnover and led 44-22. It was the most points Atlanta has allowed in a first quarter this season.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Can Clinch East #1 vs ATL

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics, winners of nine straight, could clinch the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference on Monday when they open a two-game series in Atlanta.

Boston (57-14) needs one victory — or a Milwaukee Bucks loss — to mathematically nail down first place for the playoffs. Another win would give the team its most victories since the 2008-09 team went 62-20.

“We’re just hungry for more,” Boston’s Sam Hauser said after Saturday’s 124-113 win over the Chicago Bulls. “It’s not in our character to just mail it in for the rest of the season.”

Boston continues to have the best record in the league, despite tip-toeing around injuries. Jaylen Brown (right ankle load management) did not play Saturday. Jayson Tatum (right ankle), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (right hamstring) have each been in and out of the lineup.

“Different people, different guys, are ready to step up when their number is called,” Horford said. “We all understand what we’re trying to do, how we’re trying to play. Guys are just staying ready and taking advantage of the opportunities.”

The Celtics won the first two games this season against Atlanta — 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7, both played in Boston. The Celtics have a seven-game winning streak against the Hawks and have won the past two games played in Atlanta.

Atlanta (31-39) is currently No. 10 in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks are 5 1/2 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and only 2 1/2 games behind the No. 9 Bulls. But if Atlanta aspires to catch Chicago, it needs to overcome a difficult schedule. The Hawks play four home games over the next six days, with two against Boston and single games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Bucks.

“We’re not going to take it for granted,” said Atlanta reserve Bruno Fernando, who scored a career-high 25 points and had six rebounds on Saturday in a 132-91 home win over the Charlotte Hornets.

“Every game is a special day so we’re going to try to take advantage of games that we can win, especially take advantage of our home floor. … We’ve seen it happen before with other people, so why not?”

Fernando’s effort was the latest in a series of nice games for the physical power forward. He has earned more minutes in the absence of Onyeka Okongwu, who missed 13 games with a toe injury and was held out of Saturday’s game for load management.

“It means a lot,” Fernando said. “Long time coming for me. This team is special to me. I’ve been through a lot here with this organization, so for me to be able to come in and have a game like that means a lot to me.”

The Hawks continue to be consumed by injuries. Starters Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey all missed Saturday’s game. The team has not said when it expects Young to return; he has missed 14 games.

“We miss Trae, but when you have a point guard like (Dejounte Murray), it makes the offense go,” said Atlanta reserve Garrison Mathews, who scored a season-high 20 points against Charlotte.

Murray has scored 29 and 28 points in his past two games. He was 7-of-9 shooting on 3-pointers against Charlotte and had 12 assists with seven rebounds.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Close-Out Hawks; 76ers Up Next

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It was ‘winning time” in Atlanta in Game 6 and the veteran NBA Playoff team in the Boston proved their worth in the final minutes with a dominant display of offense and defense.

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With the score tied at 113 with 3:50 remaining in the final quarter, Boston’s center Al Horford secured a defense rebound, then hit a corner three-pointer to put Boston ahead for good. With 3:00 left, Horford grabbed another rebound and forward Jayson Tatum hit from three-point land to extend the lead to six.

Tatum took over from there, as he grabbed a defensive rebound, fed Horford who missed a three-pointer but Tatum grabbed the rebound and dunked for two points all in one motion to make the score 121-113.

With 1:30 remaining, guard Marcus Smart hit a three-pointer and then scored on a driving lay-up to give Boston a 126-119 lead with a minute remaining. Smart made a pair of free throws with :15 seconds to finish the job, 128-120.

All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown led Boston with 32 points and Tatum added 30 to give the visiting Celtics an impressive win over the Hawks on Thursday, ending their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The second-seeded Celtics will play the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the playoffs, with Game 1 on Monday in Boston.

 

Can Hawks, Trea Even Series?

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Hawks will be looking for another big game from guard Trae Young when they attempt to pull even in their Eastern Conference playoff series with the visiting Boston Celtics by winning Game 4.

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After losing the first two games of the series in Boston, the Hawks received a game-high 32 points from Young in a 130-122 victory Friday night. Young made 12 of his 22 shots from the floor and finished the game with nine assists and six rebounds.

It was Young’s best game of the series, by far, as he shot 14-for-40 from the field during Games 1 and 2 in Boston.

“I know I can play like this,” Young said. “Like I said last game, I wasn’t worried. I knew I could play the way I need to. It’s all about reading and making the right adjustments.”

Friday’s victory was the first time the Hawks have beaten the Celtics this season. In addition to winning the first two games in the series, Boston won all three regular-season matchups.

Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray scored 25 points in Game 3, and, like Young, was at his best in the fourth quarter, when the Celtics were threatening to take a 3-0 series lead. Young (15) and Murray (seven) scored 22 of Atlanta’s 30 points in the final 12 minutes.

Young Leads Hawks Over Celtics

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Trae Young had game highs of 32 points and nine assists to lead the Hawks to a 130-122 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Friday night.

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Young, who added six rebounds and two blocked shots, was 12-of-22 from the field and scored nine consecutive points as the Hawks finished up the win.

Dejounte Murray added 25 points for Atlanta, which lost the first two games of the series in Boston. Game 4 will be played Sunday night in Atlanta.

Boston trailed 124-121 and had the ball, but Jayson Tatum missed a 3-point attempt and Young made a jumper on the ensuing possession to put the Hawks up 126-121 with 45.5 seconds to play. The Celtics didn’t threaten after that.

Moments earlier, Young’s 3-pointer with 2:22 to play put the Hawks ahead 121-116 after Tatum’s three-point play pulled Boston within 118-116 with 3:02 to play.

Clint Capela had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks, who out-rebounded the Celtics 48-29.

Tatum led the Celtics with 29 points and 10 rebounds and added five assists. Marcus Smart finished with 24 points, eight assists and three steals, and Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 points.

The Celtics led 37-33 after one quarter, but the Hawks scored 41 points in the second quarter and were ahead 74-67 at halftime. Boston had a 53-50 lead with 6:32 remaining in the second quarter, but the Hawks used a 20-3 run to go ahead 70-56 with 3:15 left in the first half.

Atlanta was 30 of 46 (65.2 percent) from the field in the first half, including 8 of 16 on 3-point attempts. Atlanta also had a 34-10 edge in points in the paint in the half.

Boston tied the game at 79-79 on a 3-pointer by Jaylen Brown with 8:13 to play in the third quarter, but the Hawks responded with an 8-0 run. Atlanta had a 100-93 lead at the end of three quarters.

Brown had 15 points and three steals for the Celtics.

–Field Level Media