Meeting for the second time in three days, the Atlanta Hawks will look to sweep a two-game set with the visiting Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Atlanta used a 38-point fourth quarter on Thursday to earn a 124-118 win over the Pacers — its first victory against Indiana since March 2023. The Hawks enter Saturday winners in two of three games following a 1-5 stretch.
A balanced offensive effort from Atlanta included Georges Niang’s 24 points, Trae Young’s 22-point, 16-assist double-double and rookie Zaccharie Risacher’s 3-for-3 3-point shooting mark. Risacher — last year’s first overall pick in the NBA Draft — has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 12 games and has increased his points per game average to 11.6.
“We’ve seen Zaccharie just continue to improve,” Atlanta head coach Quin Snyder said. “Sometimes you see it when the box score says he makes shots. There’s other times when maybe the ball isn’t going in, but he’s doing other things that are less noticeable. I thought he had a really good game tonight. He runs the floor really well for us and also uses his size on the defensive glass. I’ve continued to say this, and I’ll say it again. When you work, good things happen, and he works.”
Young’s 23.6 points per game lead Atlanta, while his 11.6 assists per contest are the most in the league. Caris Levert (knee) has scored 16.0 points per game since being acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline, but is questionable for Saturday. Niang has averaged 14.4 ppg in 10 outings with the Hawks.
A short-handed Pacers team had their two-game winning streak snapped in Atlanta, as they were without both Tyrese Haliburton (hip) and Bennedict Mathurin (wrist). Pascal Siakam’s 35-point night was spoiled as Indiana struggled to slow the Hawks around the basket.
“Well we gave up 74 points in the paint, and I think that’s the most compelling stat from the loss,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “But we’ve got to fight harder from start to finish. We had some good stretches, but too many lags. This is the NBA, and you’re in a playoff-seeding race. It’s supposed to be hard and you’re supposed to enjoy the privilege of being involved in a period that’s really important. We’ve got to make some serious adjustments before the next game.”
Siakam, who leads Indiana with 20.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, has scored 12 points or more in each game since the All-Star break. The veteran will have to continue to shoulder much of the Pacers’ offensive load if Haliburton (18.5 ppg) and Mathurin (16.2) remain out Saturday. Both players are listed as questionable.
Indiana currently holds the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, sitting one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks and one game ahead of the Detroit Pistons. Meanwhile, the eighth-seeded Hawks are fighting for the play-in tournament, which would be the franchise’s fourth straight appearance in the 7-10 event.
–Field Level Media
