The Orlando Magic ended up getting the last laugh on Wednesday with a 130-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks. However, Hawks point guard Trae Young might've had the highlight of the day with a block over Magic center Mo Bamba.
Young spoke with the media after the game about his highlight defensive play per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
6-foot-1 Trae Young on blocking 7-foot-1 Mo Bamba, who also happens to be his close friend:
“That’s my dog. Mo’s my guy so I’m gonna be talking trash with him all the time now… I’m definitely going to be talking about this one for a long, long time.”
😂
— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) February 27, 2020
With the shot clock running out, it appeared that Bamba would have an open dunk only to get rejected by Young coming from behind.
With Bamba being a foot taller than Young, the block was certainly unexpected, especially when you consider Young's reputation as a subpar defender in the league.
Young would score 27 of his 37 points in the first half against the Magic while also adding 11 assists. The loss drops the Hawks to 17-43 on the season as they continue to dwell at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Bamba was drafted just one pick after Young in the 2018 draft but while Young has already cemented himself as a bonafide star, the former Texas star has struggling at times to find his footing in the NBA mostly due to an abundance of big men on the roster (which has since been whittled down from last season) and a combination of injuries.
The 21-year-old big man scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in only 17 minutes against the Hawks. For the season, Bamba is averaging 5.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.
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