Atlanta Hawks Eliminated from Play-In Tournament, End Season Without Playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks' season ended after a heartbreaking 123-114 overtime loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament, marking their second consecutive year missing the playoffs. Despite strong performances from Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu, rookie Zaccharie Risacher struggled in the decisive game, scoring only 3 points on a difficult shooting night. The defeat capped a season of inconsistency for the Hawks and forced them into an offseason filled with uncertainty, including questions about potential roster changes and the future of star players like Trae Young. The loss also means Atlanta will send a lottery pick to the San Antonio Spurs, with its final position yet to be determined. Risacher, despite the rough end, finished his rookie year averaging 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds and remains a contender for the Rookie of the Year award. Moving forward, the Hawks will need to address issues with size, defense, and roster construction to return to playoff contention.