Trae Young leads Hawks to 121-116 win over Knicks

Trae Young had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as his Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 121-116 win Wednesday night State Farm Arena. It marked his seventh career 20-point, 10-assist game vs. them (regular season and playoffs).

Head Coach Quin Snyder, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson joined Trae Young at the podium to discuss the victory.

Risacher, the first overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, admitted to reporters what gave him the confidence ahead of his big 33-point night Wednesday night.

“He basically tells me to shoot the f—ing ball,” Risacher said. “That’s not just from him. That’s from everybody on the coaching staff and my teammates. It helps with my confidence.”

Risacher is shooting 27% from three-point range this season.

“I knew it was bound to happen eventually and I know it’s going to continue to happen with the way he’s been playing,” Young said of Risacher. “I struggled my first couple of months into my rookie year, and I was in Rookie of the Year debates in the second half. You’re going to go through ups and downs, especially in your rookie year. I know he wants to win, I know he wants to contribute. I just want him to always stay positive and keep his head on the right path.”

“His progress isn’t going to be linear,” Snyder said. “He’s got to stay at it. We have confidence in him if he makes shots or he doesn’t. Today, he was really good on the defensive glass, as well.”