Atlanta Hawks Feature Risacher, Porzingis and Krejci In 2025 EuroBasket: Today's Viewing Guide

The Hawks are well-represented in one of the most loaded EuroBasket tournaments in a while - here's a brief intro to the games today and how to watch.

Apr 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots over Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The FIBA EuroBasket tournament has always been a critical event for international basketball, but it's arguably the best it's ever been this year. Spanning 24 different countries, the tournament is co-hosted by Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, and Poland from August 27 - September 14.

Superstars like Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) are the massive names in the tournament, but there are plenty of NBA players involved in the tournament. Arguably no team is as well-represented as the Atlanta Hawks, who will have four players occupying important roles for their teams as they chase a spot in the tournament's finale at the Arena Riga in Latvia on September 14.

Promising second-year forward Zaccharie Risacher is poised to suit up for Team France while new center Kristaps Porzingis will take a leading role for Team Latvia. Hawks fan favorite Vit Krejci will also play for Team Czechia. Although he's been a member of the organization for a short period of time, center Eli John Ndaiye will be on Team Spain.

In the opening slate today, there are two games that Hawks fans should be especially interested in. Krejci will be part of Czechia's game against Portugal at 7:45 am EST while Porzingis will lead the Latvia squad in a matchup with a Turkish team led by Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.

When: Wed, August 27th

Time: 7:45 am ET (Czechia vs Portugal), 11:00 am ET (Latvia vs Turkey)

Location: Xiaomi Arena (Riga, Latvia)

TV: Courtside 1981 via DAZN

Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

In the 7:45 am game, Krejci is the only active NBA player on the roster for Czechia and should have a huge role as a result. He was a deep reserve for the Hawks this season, but this should be a good opportunity to see how he handles an expanded role. His shooting should be essential for Czechia in this tournament - he shot 44% from deep last season (94th percentile among all wings) and 57% on mid-range shots (97th percentile). There have been moments where Krejci has taken on a bigger role for the Hawks due to injury and he's usually done a reasonable job of acquitting himself. While Czechia doesn't have the star power of teams like Serbia or France, they can still get off to a good start today if they beat a Portugal team led by Boston Celtis center Neemias Queta, who could be a starter for Boston next year.

However, the 11:00 am matchup between Latvia and Turkey could be one of the early tournament's best. This will be Porzingis's first game since being acquired by the Hawks this summer and it should be an interesting look into exactly how healthy the big man is. His sharpshooting, size and ability to protect the rim make him an important player for the Hawks next year, but he's always had trouble staying healthy. He missed time in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs due to injury and didn't look right even when he returned. Porzingis will have his work cut out for him early - he'll likely be taking the primary matchup assignment on Alperen Sengun. Sengun was an All-Star for Houston last season and had a good playoff showing for the Rockets in his fourth NBA season. Interestingly, both Latvia and Turkey have a lot of NBA experience in their lineup. For Latvia, Porzingis is flanked by Davis Bertans and Dairis Bertans while Sengun and Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona are surrounded by ex-NBA talent in Shane Larkin, Furkan Korkmaz, Onuralp Bitim, Omar Yurtseven and Cedi Osman.

Mar 28, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) shoots a free throw against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

This is Porzingis's first time playing in international competition since the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers and it should be a good experience for the Latvian center as he gets back into game-ready shape ahead of a massive season for the Hawks.

Both Risacher and Ndaiye will be playing in tomorrow's round of group phase matchups. Risacher and Team France will be playing against Belgium while Ndaiye will be part of Team Spain's matchup with Georgia.

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