Basketball: Capela and the Hawks return to success in the NBA

Clint Capela (30 years old) returned to victory in the NBA championship with his Atlanta team. After being beaten by the Boston Celtics on Tuesday (93-123), the Hawks dominated the New York Knicks in their Philips Arena on the night from Wednesday to Thursday (121-116).

The Georgian club forced the decision in the last quarter, winning 32-27.

Aligned for 28 minutes, the Geneva pivot of the team coached by Quin Snyder presented a well-stocked record. He was credited with 18 points, an assist and 6 rebounds.

The big man of the duel was his young French teammate Zaccharie Risacher (19 years old), first choice in the 2024 draft. He scored 33 points, a production which constitutes his new personal best (the previous one was 17).

“I was very happy, and I saw that my teammates were also happy for me,” he said after the match. I felt their love, their good vibes. It’s been like that from the start, they always do their best to make me good, to make sure everything goes well on and off the floor.”

He added: “I start every game with the same mindset, it’s the right thing to do, we have so many games to play. I can’t afford to be lazy one day, another to want to score 30 points (…) My coach asks me to shoot all the time.

The Hawks are 5th in the Eastern Conference, led by the Cleveland Cavaliers (nine outings, nine smiles), with a record of four wins and five losses.