Trae Young is a playoff monster. There were doubters of the Atlanta Hawks star's ability to perform in the postseason even after last season. After all, he's only been able to do it once. Who's to say it wasn't a fluke performance. However, in their elimination game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Young proved his mettle again.
After trailing by double digits at the end of the first half, Trae Young turned on the jets against the Cavs in the second half. The Hawks star poured in an outstanding 30 points in just the second half alone. That 30-point game is the first of its kind in the playoffs and Play-In history, which is mighty damn impressive. (via ESPN Stats and Info)
Trae Young is the 1st Hawks player with 30+ points in a half of a playoff/play-in game in at least the last 25 seasons pic.twitter.com/kM0f2TzOFY
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 16, 2022
Young was clearly the best player on the court by a long shot in that game. The Hawks star was able to take control of an offense that was missing both of their starting forwards in the second half. He made clutch basket after clutch basket, and he was able to sprinkle in some dimes to keep the Cavs defense honest.
With that win, the Hawks are now officially in the playoffs once again, this time as the eighth seed. They struggled earlier in the season, but were able to recover just in time to make the Play-In Tournament. From there, they dispatched the Charlotte Hornets and the Cavs to set a date with the Miami Heat in the first round.
The Hawks aren't quite out of the woods yet, though. Clint Capela's nasty injury earlier leaves a dark cloud looming over the team after this win. It's not yet certain if he'll be able to play in the next series, but they'll need him healthy if they want to have a legitimate shot at winning.
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