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Look familiar? We saw Trae Young absolutely torch every single opponent in the NBA Playoffs last year and he showed up once again on Friday night, carrying the Atlanta Hawks to a crucial win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Play-In Tournament. Now, they head to the first round of the postseason for a meeting with the top-seeded Miami Heat, but to be honest, it looked like the Cavs had this game in the bag.
Just before halftime, Clint Capela fouled Evan Mobley hard. It looked like a flagrant, but the officials ultimately didn't call it after the big man fell onto the Hawks center, which resulted in him hyperextending his knee. Capela didn't return, which left Atlanta extremely small for the second half since John Collins was also sidelined due to injury. At that point, the Cavs should've been able to run away with this game thanks to their Twin Towers in Mobley and Allen in the frontcourt. But, that wasn't the case.
Trae Young put on an absolute show in the final two quarters after scoring just six points in the first half. He erupted for 32 points in the third and fourth, single-handedly pushing the Hawks into the playoffs. But, he wasn't just draining threes or sinking that signature floater in the lane. Ice Trae picked apart the Cavs defense, dishing out nine dimes on the night.
Take a look at this stat. It shows just how ridiculous his impact really was:
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Trae Young scored or assisted on 43 of 56 second half points for the Hawks, accounting for more points than the Cavaliers had in the 2nd half (40). pic.twitter.com/gljMBowFYX
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 16, 2022
In a nutshell, Young took over. The Hawks face a tall task against Miami. But, they have a legitimate superstar in Trae who is capable of scoring on anyone, no matter the size. Can't find an open shot? He'll cross you over and find a shooter in the corner or on the elbow. He impacts the game in so many different ways and is absolutely fearless.
The only way the Hawks were going to win this game was by Young going off. No big in the paint essentially meant they either had to get it going from downtown or just let Trae do his thing. He destroyed the Knicks last season and became a villain at MSG. There is no question the Heat fans are going to hate him too, but Miami needs to watch out. Trae Young is a true game-changer and he proved exactly why on Friday night in Cleveland.
Ice in his veins.
