Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher hit some of the baskets fans have come to know him for. But Risacher and Team T came up short in the first semifinal of the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
With his team trailing 33-24, Risacher found a wide-open lane and cut to the basket where Raptors wing Gradey Dick found him with a bounce pass between defenders. Risacher finished with a dunk to pull Team T within seven.
On the other end, Risacher disturbed the dribble of Spurs guard Stephon Castle and forced him to pass out to Memphis center Zach Edey in the corner, who missed the 3. A couple of possessions later, Risacher banked in a driving layup high off the glass to keep the game within 38-34. With teammate Trae Young in attendance, Risacher scored four points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field and had two rebounds.
In the Rising Stars Challenge, teams must reach a target score of 40 points in the semifinal games. In the final, teams play to a score of 25 to advance to playing in the first semifinal against Team Shaq at the All-Star Game on Sunday.
But after Castle hit a pullup isolation midrange jumper over Wizards big Alex Sarr, Team T’s bid to play on Sunday night came to end.
Risacher’s weekend in San Francisco isn’t over, though. The rookie will pair up with Sarr on Saturday night in the Skills Challenge.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
