” I'm tired “. This is what he admitted Zacharie Risacher after his fourth game in six days, and above all superb performance against the Knicks: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 interceptions and 2 blocks. All at 6 out of 10 at 3-points. Before this meeting, his record was at 17 points…
“Basically, the coach asked me to shoot. But it's not just him. Everyone asks me that, from the staff to the players, and it’s useful for my confidence” reacted the Frenchman, who was already 5 out of 7 from 3-point range in the first period. It's him, 90 seconds from the end, who equalizes on a caviar from Trae Young. On the wing, Zaccharie Risacher heads to the heart of the racket, and he scores a “floater” against the Knicks surprised by his movement.
Now the top scorer among rookies
“It’s something we work on in training” explains Trae Young. “He went to the middle of the racket, and I knew where to find him. He turned around, and if Towns didn't get on top of him, he could score. If Towns went up, Clint (Capela) was behind for the lofted pass. It was an important action for us. »
This performance allows Zaccharie Risacher to register his name alongside those of Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Lamar Odom.
Before him, only these four players had accumulated at least 30 points, 2 interceptions and 2 blocks in a game before the age of 20. Zaccharie Risacher is the only one to add at least five 3-point baskets. It is also the 5th best performance by a French rookie, behind Rodrigue Beaubois (40 points) and Victor Wembanyama (40, 38 and 34 points).
Thanks to this hot spell, he reached an average of 12 points over the season, and he is number 1 among rookies. “Its progression will not be linear” warns Quin Snyder. “He must persevere. We have confidence in him, whether he makes his shots or not. Today he was also very good at defensive rebounding. »
