Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks have a commanding 3-1 series lead over the New York Knicks after a 113-96 Game 4 win Sunday.

Trae Young had 27 points and nine assists to lead his team to a second straight win at State Farm Arena. It put the No. 5 seed one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

New York kept pace in the early going thanks to 16 first-half points from Derrick Rose, trailing 53-49 at halftime. The game changed quickly as Atlanta outscored the visitors 35-22 in the third quarter.

The Knicks couldn't keep pace and never got the lead within single digits in the fourth quarter.

Julius Randle had his fourth straight double-double, but New York is still on the brink of elimination after a dream 2020-21 season.

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Notable Performances

Trae Young, PG, ATL: 27 points, 9 assists

John Collins, PF, ATL: 22 points, 8 rebounds

Danilo Gallinari, PF, ATL: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block

Julius Randle, PF, NYK: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals

Derrick Rose, PG, NYK: 18 points, 6 assists

RJ Barrett, SG, NYK: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

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Trae Young Continues to Shine for Hawks

Trae Young has showcased his skill set throughout the series and didn't slow down in Game 4, finishing with 27 points. It was his fourth straight game with at least 20 points to begin his postseason career.

The guard didn't shoot well from the perimeter (4-of-14 from three) but found a way to get shots inside the arc with consistency.

15 PTS & 4 AST for Trae at the half. ❄️

🎥 Presented by @Verizon pic.twitter.com/d6jiDioGMV

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 30, 2021

Trae is heating up ♨️

(Via @nbatv) https://t.co/YsfuNZ5GCE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2021

Trae Young is getting wherever he wants on the floor.

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) May 30, 2021

When the Hawks needed points, Young was there to keep the offense rolling.

🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶 pic.twitter.com/XPZSoYxaY1

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 30, 2021

It was far from a one-man show Sunday, however, as the team got production from a lot of different sources:

9 points in 60 seconds. pic.twitter.com/bacEfLCDqa

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 30, 2021

The Hawks have State Farm Arena ROCKIN 😤 pic.twitter.com/rzc3hcRCY5

— ESPN (@espn) May 30, 2021

John Collins was especially impressive, scoring a playoff-best 22 points and getting baskets even when he faced solid defense.

Go off, JC‼️ pic.twitter.com/iMjHEsH8q4

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 30, 2021

Compared to the Knicks, Atlanta had too many weapons offensively, and it allowed the home team to pull away as the game progressed.

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Inefficient Julius Randle Slows Knicks Offense Again

Randle's struggles have been a big story of the series, as he shot just 23.6 percent from the field in the first three games while failing to top 15 points in any of them.

Considering how important the league's Most Improved Player is to the Knicks offense, his sudden disappearance has been brutal.

Julius Randle is playing epically bad. Missed shots, bad turn overs, losing the ball. I’m still riding with our guy but man oh man I can’t believe this.

— Anthony Donahue (@AnthonyMSG) May 30, 2021

Julius Randle is playing like Charles Barkley when he lost his powers in Space Jam. SICK OF HIM.

— Kayla Solomon (@KSolomonReports) May 30, 2021

Randle filled up the stat sheet in other ways, but his 7-of-19 shooting from the field hurt the team.

The backcourt tried to pick up the slack, with Derrick Rose continuing to thrive since replacing Elfrid Payton in the starting lineup.

Rose and RJ Barrett combined for 39 points and 10 assists while showcasing great chemistry:

4 dimes for RJ.
10 points for D-Rose.@nyknicks up 1 after 1Q on ABC. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/YTUxFZrlz7

— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2021

Team basketball. pic.twitter.com/GDrO9p44ze

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 30, 2021

Derrick Rose has been lights out this whole series. The Roseaissance is on.

— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) May 30, 2021

This simply wasn't enough, especially with the bench providing little until Obi Toppin's run late in the game. 

With the star player underperforming and limited depth to help out, the Knicks couldn't keep up on the scoreboard.

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What's Next?

The series returns to New York for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Trae Young's superstar performance in the playoffs thus far prompted one of his Atlanta Hawks teammates to compare him to a luxury automobile. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic told reporters after Friday's 105-94 win over the New York Knicks that Young is "like a Ferrari."

"And he's just learning to drive the car," Bogdanovic added. 

The Knicks have had many problems through the first three games in the series, but the biggest one is finding an answer for Young. He is averaging 27.7 points and 10.3 assists per game in the series. 

Atlanta's All-Star point guard let his passing do most of the heavy lifting in Game 3. He dished out 14 of the team's 28 assists. The 22-year-old also had 21 points but shot just 8-of-19 from the field. 

His Game 3 point total was his lowest of the series, and he's recorded at least 10 assists in two of the first three games against the Knicks. He went for 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting and seven assists in Atlanta's loss in Game 2. 

All of the excitement around the Knicks being back in the postseason for the first time in eight years has given way to Young coming into his own as a superstar in the playoffs. He's two wins away from leading the Hawks into the second round for the first time since 2016. 

Trae Young's 21 points and 14 assists helped the Atlanta Hawks defeat the visiting New York Knicks 105-94 on Friday at State Farm Arena in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Young led the Hawks on a 22-3 run late in the second quarter to turn a 39-36 deficit into a 58-42 edge, posting five points and four assists during that stretch.

Atlanta, which led 58-44 at the half, never led by fewer than double digits for all of the final two quarters. The Hawks played sensational defense against the Knicks, who shot just 36.3 percent from the field for the night.

Knicks point guard Derrick Rose prevented this game from turning into a complete blowout, scoring 30 points on 13-of-21 shooting.

The rest of the team largely struggled, with Julius Randle notably scoring just 14 points on 2-of-15 shooting. The NBA's Most Improved Player has made just 13-of-54 shots (24.1 percent) in this series.

With the win, the Hawks took a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in the best-of-seven matchup.

    

Notable Performances

Hawks PG Trae Young: 21 points, 14 assists

Hawks C Clint Capela: 13 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks

Hawks PF John Collins: 14 points, 6 rebounds

Knicks PG Derrick Rose: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Knicks F Julius Randle: 14 points, 11 rebounds

Knicks C Nerlens Noel: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals

    

Hawks' 2nd-Quarter Splurge Propels Atlanta to Game 3 Win

A seven-minute sequence dictated this game and highlighted everything that went right for the Hawks and wrong for the Knicks Friday.

On the offensive end, Young led a fluid, crisp offense that routinely ended in buckets.

On the defensive end, the Hawks simply shut down everyone on the court with a suffocating effort that quelled the Knick attack.

Young was sensational scoring and distributing, hitting a three-pointer from the midcourt logo that gave Atlanta a lead it would never relinquish:

The range is limitless. pic.twitter.com/I4b3Yp9cKt

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 29, 2021

Young got the rest of his teammates going, though, like when he crossed up Randle and found Clint Capela for the slam:

BOOOOOOOOOOM‼️ pic.twitter.com/xk8R2jfrdB

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 29, 2021

The Hawks were particularly efficient from the rim in the dominant showing, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic pointed out:

Incredible 2nd quarter for the Hawks. Destroying the Knicks on both ends of the floor. Shooters making their 3s. Up 58-44 at halftime.

Trae Young: 14/10
Gallinari/Collins: 9 each

Hawks shooting 60 percent from 3, 75 percent at the rim.

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) May 29, 2021

Young helped the Hawks in that regard, and he made some history along the way too with his 10-assist first half:

Trae Young recorded 10 assists in the first half tonight. The last player with 10+ assists in a half of a playoff game in their first postseason was Rajon Rondo for the Celtics in 2008. pic.twitter.com/we85NiQGeL

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 29, 2021

He also registered a career-first:

Trae Young had 10 assists and 0 turnovers in a half for the first time in his career, including regular season. pic.twitter.com/ucMhX3teKv

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 29, 2021

The fact that the Knicks have been unable to stay in front of Young all series, which was most evident in Game 1 when he slithered into the paint for the game-winning bucket with nine-tenths of a second left, played a big role in this loss.

The Hawks' defense also crushed the Knicks, though, holding them to 30.2 percent shooting by halftime, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Trae Young (double-double of 14 points, 10 assists already) and the Hawks picked the Knicks apart those last few minutes of the first half. Will need to sustain it.

Hawks 58, Knicks 44

Hawks shooting 53.5% FG to the Knicks' 30.2%. Knicks went 14-16 from the line, Hawks 3-5.

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) May 29, 2021

Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks called out one impressive sequence in particular from Capela and John Collins:

Great defensive sequence from Collins and Capela against Randle.

Just totally walled him off at the rim.

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) May 29, 2021

Knicks guard Alec Burks hit a bucket to put his team up 39-36, and Rose closed the first half with a two-pointer.

In between, the Knicks' offense went 1-of-9 with four turnovers during a stretch that lasted nearly seven minutes.

That fact, coupled with the Young-led offense's fantastic work, led to Atlanta coasting to a win.

    

Nothing Goes Right Offensively for Knicks Outside Rose

At times, it felt like Rose was playing 1-on-5.

He was the only Knick able to consistently generate any sort of offense on a night when the team largely looked out of sync.

When the Knicks did get open shots, they routinely clanked off the rim, continuing cold spells that have persisted on-and-off in this series.

Randle, in particular, has not played well.

A 6-of-23 Game 1 effort led to a 5-of-16 result in Game 2, and on Friday, he started his game 1-of-12.

The Hawks have clearly focused on stopping Randle, who has been subject to some swarming defensive efforts.

But Randle has generally been out of sync all series, and the effect on the team shows.

The Hawks fans let Randle hear it too:

Hawks crowd started an "overrated" chant for Julius Randle

(via @ChrisKirschner)pic.twitter.com/1ZX8vYoAbF

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 29, 2021

That's tough for a player who has averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists for a Knicks team enjoying its first playoff appearance in eight years. He very well could pick it back up in Game 4.

However, the rest of the team has largely been unable to pick Randle up.

On Friday, Rose had four more made field goals than the rest of the Knicks starters, who combined to shoot just 9-of-37. The bench shot just 7-of-22.

The Knicks could play A-plus defense and still lose with those numbers. The problem is that the defense struggled on Friday, leading to Atlanta's comfortable win.

Ultimately, John Jastremski of the Ringer summed up this series well:

The best player for the Hawks has showed up in every single game. The two best players for the Knicks have not. That had better change or the Knicks are cooked…

— John Jastremski (@john_jastremski) May 29, 2021

The Knicks obviously aren't going anywhere unless Randle finds a way to break this slump and the team follows suit. The good news is that they are only down 2-1 in the series, giving the team some time to regroup.

     

What's Next?

Atlanta will host Game 4 on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young said a fan attempting to spit on him during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden was "uncalled for" and "disgusting."

Speaking to ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth before tipoff of Game 3 against the New York Knicks on Friday, Young said he has no problem with fans booing him or chanting at him but that a line was crossed. 

Ahead of Game 3, Trae Young addresses the incident where a fan spit on him at Madison Square Garden. pic.twitter.com/4Y2vxGdcIp

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 28, 2021

pic.twitter.com/wp86ur5J1s

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

On Thursday, the Knicks announced they investigated the spitting incident and banned the fan responsible from attending games at MSG indefinitely. 

The incident was one of three instances across the NBA on Wednesday night that ended with fans banned from arenas. 

In Philadelphia, a season-ticket holder had his seats revoked and was indefinitely banned after dumping popcorn on an injured Russell Westbrook as he went back to the locker room against the 76ers. Later in Utah, the Jazz ejected and banned three fans who shouted racist obscenities at the parents of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.

"For me as a player, I come out and do my job and play and I have no problem with the fans and what they've been saying," Young said Friday. "That's a part of it. It's basketball and I enjoy it and I love it. I'm not mad at fans who chant things. Spitting and things like that, that's uncalled for in any arena." 

The increase in obscene fan behavior led to the NBA releasing a statement condemning the recent acts and reiterating its commitment to the league's code of fan conduct policies. 

Young said he's ready to move on from the incident, but the NBA will be paying close attention to fan conduct throughout the remainder of the postseason.  

The National Basketball Players Association has issued a statement after fans physically harassed Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young during playoff games on Wednesday:

“True fans of this game honor and respect the dignity of our players.  No true fan would seek to harm them or violate their personal space.  Those who do have no place in our arenas. And their conduct is appropriately evaluated by law enforcement just as if it occurred on a public street.

Respect our Players.

Respect our Game.”

A fan threw popcorn at an injured Westbrook as he was being helped back into the locker room at the Wells Fargo Center during the Philadelphia 76ers' 120-95 home win over the Wizards.

Another fan spit at Young during the Hawks' 101-92 road loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Both fans were banned from those respective arenas indefinitely.

The NBA also released a statement following the two incidents while promising an "enhanced" Fan Code of Conduct:

pic.twitter.com/aq4Wg0YWoy

— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2021

Fans are being welcomed back into arenas amid increased vaccinations and decreased case numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Knicks notably welcomed 15,000 fans for each of their two playoff home games against Atlanta.

As Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times noted, however, that has brought about an old problem: "But the easing of restrictions, which has allowed fans to return in droves, has brought to the forefront another dimension that the pandemic had covered: the sometimes ugly behavior of unruly fans in proximity to players."

Numerous players spoke out on the fan behavior, including Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant:

By the way WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!! There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the 👟 was on the other 🦶🏾.🎥 #ProtectOurPlayers

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 27, 2021

It’s all fun and games until ya ass banned for life.

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 27, 2021

Westbrook, who has been the subject of previous bad behavior from fans, was rightfully upset after the game, saying the following to reporters:

To be completely honest, this s--t is getting out of hand, especially for me. The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f--k they want to do, it's just out of pocket. Any other setting—you know, I'm all for fans enjoying the game and having fun, it's part of sports, I get it.

But there are certain things that cross the line, and in any other setting, I know for a fact that fans wouldn't come up, guy wouldn't come on the street pouring popcorn on my head, because he would know what'd happen. Guy wouldn't come up to me talking mess about my kids, my family on the street because the response would be different. In these arenas, they got to start protecting the players, man.

Three NBA playoff games are on tap for Thursday, beginning with the Milwaukee Bucks at the Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Los Angeles Lakers will also host the Phoenix Suns, and the Portland Trail Blazers will welcome the Denver Nuggets into town.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant questioned Thursday whether directly antagonizing star athletes is ultimately worth it following two incidents of bad behavior by fans on Wednesday.

A Philadelphia 76ers fan was banned indefinitely from Wells Fargo Center after dumping popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook.

Russ got heated after a fan threw popcorn at him https://t.co/XyMRUxUVwc

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 27, 2021

A New York Knicks fan who spit on Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young was handed their own indefinite ban from Madison Square Garden and had their information passed along to authorities.

Durant didn't think the fans considered the likely repercussions of their actions:

It’s all fun and games until ya ass banned for life.

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 27, 2021

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green echoed Durant's point:

The "Malice at the Palace" in 2004 served as a flashpoint in the history of players vs. opposing fans. As former Indiana Pacers star Metta Sandiford-Artest laid across the scorers' table following a brief scuffle between the Pacers and Detroit Pistons, a fan threw a drink at him. Sandiford-Artest went into the stands to confront the fan, sparking a larger brawl that left a far-reaching legacy on the league and the players involved. The NBA came down hard on Sandiford-Artest, who was suspended for the rest of the 2003-04 season after making just seven appearances.

Security personnel intervened to ensure Westbrook didn't directly confront the fan who showered him with popcorn, thus preventing the situation from escalating.

This wasn't Westbrook's first run-in with an unruly Sixers fan. A local urologist apologized in 2016 after flipping both of his middle fingers toward the nine-time All-Star.

In March 2019, he also took exception to what he believed to be a racist taunt from a Utah Jazz fan who had allegedly told him to "get down on your knees like you're used to."

Following the Wizards' 120-95 loss Wednesday, Westbrook told reporters "this s--t is getting out of hand."

"Especially for me, the amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f--k they want to do," he said. "… In any other setting, I’m all for fans enjoying the game. It’s part of sports, I get it. But there are some things that cross the line."

A New York Knicks fan who spat on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young during Wednesday's playoff game at Madison Square Garden has been banned from the arena.

Per an official statement from the Knicks, the fan is banned indefinitely and their information has been turned over to the authorities:

pic.twitter.com/wp86ur5J1s

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

Malika Andrews of ESPN spoke to Young's agent Omar Wilkes who said the Hawks point guard won't press charges against the fan.

Trae Young has declined to press any charges against the fan who spit on him Wednesday night at the MSG. When reached, his agent Omar Wilkes said: "We appreciate the Garden's response to the incident and Trae's focus remains on his teammates and Game 3." https://t.co/CJ2xNZklNU

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) May 27, 2021

The Knicks fan's actions weren't the only example of bad fan behavior during Wednesday's playoff games. 

The Philadelphia 76ers announced the fan who dumped popcorn on Russell Westbrook has been banned from all events at the Wells Fargo Center and had his season tickets revoked. 

After video was posted online appearing to show a fan spitting on Young, the Hawks star addressed the matter on Twitter. 

"Damn... Crazy," he wrote.

Young was standing on the sideline waiting for the referee to give him the ball for an inbounds pass when the spitting occurred. 

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant addressed the situation with the fans on Twitter:

It’s all fun and games until ya ass banned for life.

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 27, 2021

The Knicks noted the fan isn't a season-ticket holder, but he will be unable to attend events at Madison Square Garden. 

With the exception of the spitting situation, Knicks fans have spent the first two games of the Eastern Conference playoff series playfully heckling Young. The All-Star was the subject of "f--k Trae Young" chants before each game.

A picture circulated online showing that Knicks fans were instructed to chant "Trae is balding" for Game 2. 

The Knicks defeated the Hawks 101-92 to even their series at one game apiece. 

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young acknowledged a video of a New York Knicks fan who seemingly attempted to spit on him Wednesday during Game 2 of the first-round NBA playoff series.

In response to the video, which was tweeted by a fan, Young said:

Damn... Crazy ! @50cent y’all good?!
😂😂😂 https://t.co/p8jSbwyozT

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 27, 2021

Young tagged 50 Cent since the apparent spit appeared to land on or just past a woman who was sitting next to the rapper. Whatever it was didn't look as though it made it to Young.

While Young had a sense of humor about the situation, it came on the same night Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook had to be restrained by Philadelphia 76ers security after having popcorn dumped on him while leaving the court:

Russ got heated after a fan threw popcorn at him https://t.co/XyMRUxUVwc

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 27, 2021

Westbrook told reporters: "In these arenas, you have got to start protecting the players. We'll see what the NBA does."

It wasn't a great night for Young's Hawks as they fell 101-92 to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, tying the series at 1-1.

The loss didn't fall on Young's shoulders, though, as he scored a game-high 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting with seven assists and four three-pointers. He also had a plus-5 rating when he was on the floor.

Atlanta didn't get the production it needed out of the likes of John Collins, Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari, who combined for 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting.

Young and the Hawks silenced the Knicks faithful in Game 1, but after New York bounced back with a Game 2 victory, the Knicks will follow the Hawks to Atlanta with momentum on their side.

As for Young, he'll likely be thrilled to play in front of more welcoming fans after narrowly avoiding an apparent loogie at MSG.

The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 to even their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at one game apiece on Wednesday.

After the game, Hawks star point guard Trae Young issued this tweet:

The Road to Success is Never Easy!!!
Back to the ATL we go😤❄️#WeMove pic.twitter.com/IGEZQwWbaT

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 27, 2021

Young also had this to say immediately after the Hawks' loss:

“I’ll see you in the A”

Trae Young is ready for Game 3 👀 https://t.co/p85ade6pYI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 27, 2021

The former Oklahoma Sooner has been sensational through two playoff games, averaging 31.0 points, 8.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds. He scored the game-winning bucket with nine-tenths of a second left to give Atlanta a 107-105 Game 1 win:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujy7hN-THb8

Young, who shushed the Madison Square Garden crowd after that bucket, has quickly become public enemy No. 1 for Knicks fans. He even got the attention of New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio:

NYC Mayor de Blasio, while wearing a NY Knicks hat, shades ATL Hawks’ star Trae Young:

“Stop hunting for fouls.” pic.twitter.com/i5TcB7AIoz

— The Recount (@therecount) May 25, 2021

This series has gotten off to an energetic and dramatic start thanks in part to Young, but now it's Atlanta's turn to play host.

The Hawks will welcome the Knicks into Atlanta for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, at State Farm Arena.