Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Pick & Prediction APRIL 11th 2025
Preview and Prediction
Zaccharie Risacher continues to defy the skeptics.
The 20-year-old Atlanta forward will aim to build upon a career-best scoring performance when the Hawks travel to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Despite facing plenty of doubters as the top pick in the 2024 draft, Risacher has consistently delivered strong results on both ends of the court since his rookie season. However, the Frenchman has elevated his game to new heights over the past two months.
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Risacher achieved his first career double-double on Feb. 20 against the Orlando Magic. He then scored 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 3. The young forward put up 36 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 30, and topped that performance on Thursday with 38 points in a dominant 133-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
"It was a fantastic performance. We need him to maintain this level of play," said Atlanta guard Trae Young. "That's the Rookie of the Year right there."
Despite Risacher's impressive performances, the Hawks still have room for improvement on the defensive end. They have not won a game in which they scored fewer than 120 points since Feb. 24. However, in their most recent game against the Nets, they held their opponents to 40 percent shooting from the field and forced 19 turnovers.
"As the season progresses, every game becomes more critical," said Atlanta coach Quin Snyder. "Mistakes and breakdowns that we can control become even more important."
Currently sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks are in the midst of a tight race for a spot in the play-in tournament. They are looking to hold off the ninth-place Chicago Bulls (37-43) and the 10th-place Miami Heat (36-44).
"We know what we need to do. We know the situation we're in. We just have to take care of business," said Young.
On the other hand, the Philadelphia 76ers (24-56) will miss the playoffs for the first time in eight years due to a combination of injuries and inconsistent play. However, they did snap a 12-game losing streak with a 122-103 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
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The Sixers were dealing with a long list of injuries in that game, including Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and several key role players.
"It was great to see them get some positive results tonight. They played well," said Sixers coach Nick Nurse. The team was led by Jeff Dowtin Jr.'s career-high 30 points and Lonnie Walker IV's 24 points.
Nurse also praised Quentin Grimes, who struggled with his shooting but still managed to contribute with seven assists, 11 rebounds, and 17 points.
"I love the 11 rebounds. I always stress the importance of our guards helping out on the glass, and he did just that," Nurse said.
The Sixers have lost both of their previous meetings with the Hawks this season, both of which took place in Atlanta in March. Risacher scored 22 points in each of those games.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Recap APR 11TH 2025
Trae Young recorded 36 points and 11 assists and Caris LeVert added 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting as the Atlanta Hawks posted a 124-110 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Georges Niang chipped in 16 points and Mouhamed Gueye notched 10 points and 18 boards for Atlanta (39-42), which clinched the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks will visit the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic as part of the play-in round next week.
Jared Butler scored 25 points and Marcus Bagley produced career bests of 20 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia (24-57), which only had eight players available. With the loss, the Sixers are guaranteed to finish with one of the five worst records in the NBA -- an important spot for a team that owes its first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder unless it falls within the top six.
Atlanta led 29-26 after the first quarter before Philadelphia began to create some separation midway through the second.
The Sixers trailed 41-40 until rattling off eight straight points -- five by Adem Bona, wrapped around a 3-pointer by Butler. Atlanta briefly got its deficit down to three points before Philadelphia built the advantage back to 66-60 entering the break.
Bagley scored 12 points in the second quarter and co-led the Sixers with 14 first-half points, joining Bona. LeVert had 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the second quarter and 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting in the first half to pace the visitors.
Atlanta eventually went ahead on Young's three free throws with 6:40 remaining in the third quarter. The Hawks went on to lead 91-85 after three quarters as LeVert drained a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the period.
Atlanta held a 100-95 edge early in the fourth before Young made two 3-pointers about a minute apart, including one in which he heaved the ball expecting a foul call. LeVert drained a 3-pointer shortly thereafter to make it 111-98, and then Young knocked down two more from behind the arc as the lead ballooned to 118-102 with about four minutes left.