Trae Young Says 'I'm All for the Biggest Moments' After 48-Point Game in Game 1
Jun 24, 2021
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young plays during Game 7 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Thanks to Trae Young's 48-point performance, the Atlanta Hawks won their first conference finals game in franchise history on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The star didn't bat an eye when he was asked about his outing after the 116-113 victory at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum:
Hawks’ Trae Young after 48 points in ECF Game 1 win over Bucks: “I’m all for the biggest moments.” pic.twitter.com/ll86OycFkJ
Young also posted 11 assists and seven rebounds, with help from John Collins' 23 points and 15 rebounds.
Young had 25 points in the first half as the Hawks trailed 59-54. It was a second-half resurgence from Collins that provided him with the backup the Hawks needed to get past the Bucks.
By scoring or assisting on 72 points during the game, Young set an NBA record. That total is the most by any player in any conference or division finals game in league history, perElias Sports Bureau(h/t ESPN Stats and Info).
At 22 years, 278 days old, he is also the second-youngest player to drop at least 45 points with at least 10 rebounds in a playoff game.
For Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 34 points with 12 rebounds and nine assists, and Jrue Holiday was right behind him with 33 points, 10 assists and four rebounds.
Game 2 is Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Report: Nate McMillan Has 'Reservations' About Being Named Hawks' Permanent HC
Jun 23, 2021
Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan calls a play against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
After leading the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals, it would seem Nate McMillan has an easy decision to make if he is offered the head coaching job on a permanent basis, but that reportedly isn't the case for the 56-year-old.
Per veteran NBA reporter Gery Woelfel, McMillan has "some reservations" about being named the Hawks' head coach going forward.
Woelfel didn't specify what the reservations are, though he noted it's not tied to money since McMillan is said to be set from a financial perspective.
McMillan began this season on the Hawks staff as an assistant for Lloyd Pierce. He was named interim head coach on March 1 after Pierce was fired.
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin spoke with Audacy’s 92.9 The Game in Atlanta about McMillan's status and future:
"Nate asked one of the conditions of taking the job is we do this after the season concludes, and I'm so pleased on June 23 our season's not over. It is for 26 other teams, it's not over for us. So, everything good happens to people who deserve it and will happen in time."
Speaking toreportersabout the job after he was promoted, McMillan said he was initially reluctant to accept the offer from general manager Travis Schlenk because being a head coach again "wasn't something I really was going to do."
McMillan said a conversation with Pierce convinced him to accept the job.
"We had a conversation about the team and the move ... and he just felt he didn't think this would happen but he felt I could step in and do a good job with the team," McMillan told reporters. "He basically felt I should take this opportunity."
McMillan came to Atlanta after spending the previous four seasons as head coach of the Indiana Pacers before being fired in August. He led the Pacers to the playoffs in each of those four years, but they never advanced past the first round and were swept three times.
The Hawks completely turned things around with McMillan steering the ship. They went 27-11 under his watch during the regular season and are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
Giannis Praises 'Amazing' Trae Young: What He's Done in a 3-Year Span Is Unbelievable
Jun 22, 2021
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young plays during Game 7 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Giannis Antetokounmpo has nothing but respect for his counterpart ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks.
"He is an amazing player," Antetokounmpo said Tuesday of Trae Young, per ESPN's Malika Andrews. "What he can do for his size…it's unbelievable. What he's done in a three-year span is unbelievable. He's got to keep getting better, keep believing in himself and the sky is the limit for him."
While Young has been a dangerous shooter and playmaker throughout his first three seasons in the league, he has ascended to a level of superstardom during these playoffs.
He torched the New York Knicks in the first round and then helped lead the Hawks past the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games in the second round. His mix of floaters in the lane, deep three-pointers and alley-oop lobs to Clint Capela and John Collins have been largely unstoppable, and he has the Hawks one series win away from the NBA Finals.
Young and Co. will have to go through Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who are fresh off their own seven-game victory over Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.
It won't be easy, but the Hawks point guard has already done enough to earn the respect of the two-time MVP.
Hawks' Trae Young Had to 'Find a Way' to Play Through Shooting Struggles in Game 7
Jun 21, 2021
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young plays during Game 7 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
If someone told Atlanta Hawks fans their team would win a Game 7 on the road over the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers while Trae Young shot 5-of-23 from the field, they surely wouldn't have believed it.
Yet, that's exactly what happened Sunday as Atlanta advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 103-96 victory.
To Young's credit, he dished out 10 assists and drilled a long three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to push his team's lead to six. He also gave the Hawks the lead at one point in that final quarter with one of his trademark floaters and played better down the stretch with the game hanging in the balance.
"I know I just have to find a way," Young said afterward. "My shot was off tonight. My right hand and my shoulders … I was trying to fight through it and push through it. And shots just weren't going tonight, but my teammates showed up and made plays. Me, I just tried to find them."
Young has been playing through a right shoulder injury and wraps it up when he is sidelined.
Given his struggles—and those of starting backcourt mate Bogdan Bogdanovic, who went 2-of-8 from the floor and 0-of-4 from three in 21 minutes—Atlanta wouldn't have prevailed without the efforts of Kevin Huerter, John Collins and Danilo Gallinari.
Huerter led the team in scoring with 27 points and converted three critical free throws in the final minute to push the lead to four. Collins battled inside against Joel Embiid and Philadelphia's frontcourt and ended up with 14 points and 16 rebounds. And Gallinari made a number of important offensive plays on his way to 17 points while also forcing an Embiid turnover at a critical juncture.
The Hawks have an array of proven scorers with Collins, Bogdanovic, Huerter, Gallinari, Lou Williams and even Clint Capela inside on lobs, but versus a well-rounded Milwaukee Bucks team in the Eastern Conference Finals, you'd figure Young would need to be more efficient for the Hawks to shock the basketball world and reach the Finals.
Hawks Troll 76ers After Playoff Series With 'Fresh Prince' Video on Twitter
Jun 21, 2021
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young plays during Game 7 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
There's no end in sight to the jokes at the Philadelphia 76ers' expense at the moment.
The Atlanta Hawks' Twitter account made the most of the opportunity after the team pulled out a 103-96 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals:
Now this is a story all about how the process got flipped, turned upside down... pic.twitter.com/mRzz99kCRt
The series demonstrated there's a fine line between having some fun on social media and falling victim to some good old fashioned hubris. It might be a while before Sixers Twitter has to live this one down after the team fell apart in Game 5.
If you happen to be a fan of the 76ers, this seems like a great time to use some vacation days and go off the grid for a little bit.
John Collins Wears Shirt With Photo of Dunk on Joel Embiid After Hawks Beat 76ers
Jun 21, 2021
Atlanta Hawks' John Collins, left, and Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid talk during the first half of Game 7 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Atlanta Hawks star John Collins set a new standard for the ignominy incurred by those who get dunked on.
Following his team's 103-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Collins wore a shirt depicting his thunderous jam over Sixers star Joel Embiid in Game 6.
The 6'9" forward delivered one of the best dunks of the 2021 NBA playoffs when he finished off a lob from Trae Young. Embiid didn't stand much of a chance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH197m1a9PM
If the Hawks had lost the series, then that play would have probably still been remembered fondly by fans in Atlanta, but otherwise relegated to a footnote.
Since the Hawks won—on top of Collins' fashion choice–it might have ascended closer to a more unforgettable category.
Doc Rivers: 76ers Will 'Get Back Up' After Blowing 26-point Lead in Game 5 vs. Hawks
Jun 17, 2021
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 14: Head Coach Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during Round 2, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on June 14, 2021 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Fresh off suffering arguably the worst loss of the postseason so far, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is looking well past Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks and towards a potential Game 7 back in Pennsylvania.
The Sixers blew a 26-point second-half lead, falling 109-106 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and allowing Atlanta to take a 3-2 series lead. After holding the Hawks to 40 points in the first half, Trae Young and Co. went off for 40 in the fourth quarter alone as Philly failed to maintain home-court advantage.
Doc Rivers: "We'll get back up. ... We'll be back here for Game 7. I believe that. ... This is part of sports. You have some awful moments ... We have made this hard on ourselves, we have to own up to that -- all of us -- and then we have to get up and be ready for the next game"
"We'll get back up," Rivers told reporters. "We'll be back here for Game 7. I believe that."
The Sixers now head back to Atlanta for Game 6 on the brink of elimination after locking up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with ease. Despite what Rivers said after the loss, there's sure to be a bit of a mental hurdle to clear as the club tries to regroup.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the 26-point lead is the third-largest blown in the playoffs in the last 25 years.
Even if the team wasn't aware of the dubious history they made on Wednesday, the ramifications were quite clear once they returned to the locker room.
"The mood was down," Rivers said. "It was awful. What would you think it would be? It would have to be. This is part of sports. You have some awful moments. There is no guaranteed path to get to your goal. We have made this hard on ourselves."
That added difficulty comes after Joel Embiid notched 37 points and 13 rebounds while Seth Curry drained 7-of-12 three-pointers en route to 36 points on the night.
Those efforts weren't enough to overcome 39 points scored by Young as the Hawks grabbed control of the series.
Rivers is confident Philly will force a Game 7, but the Sixers will have to move past Game 5 and take care of Game 6 before that.
Trae Young, Hawks Erase 26-Point Deficit to Beat Joel Embiid, 76ers in Game 5
Jun 17, 2021
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young (11) goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (21), Matisse Thybulle (22) and Seth Curry (31) during the second half of Game 5 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Eastern Conference's top seed is on the brink of elimination in stunning fashion.
The Atlanta Hawks seized a 3-2 lead in their back-and-forth conference semifinal against the Philadelphia 76ers with a dramatic 109-106 victory in Wednesday's Game 5 at Wells Fargo Center. Trae Young led the way for the visitors, who will advance to the East Finals for the first time since the 2014-15 season with one more win after overcoming a 26-point deficit.
The visitors outscored Philadelphia by 21 points in the fourth quarter alone with Young putting his team on his back in an incredible showing.
HAWKS COME BACK VS. PHILLY 🔥
ATL erases a 26-point deficit to take a 3-2 series lead
Impressive outings from Joel Embiid and Seth Curry weren't enough for the 76ers, who will have to bounce back and win two games in a row in this best-of-seven series to prevail.
Trae Young's Superstardom Grows as Hawks Shock 76ers
Philadelphia is the No. 1 seed, but Atlanta already proved it can hang with the powerhouse by splitting the first four games and overcoming a double-digit lead in its last victory with Young taking over in crunch time.
It didn't look that way out of the gates on Wednesday.
The Hawks were lost on the defensive side with no answer for Embiid in the first quarter and then went ice cold on the offensive end on the way to 16 points in the second quarter. The end result was a daunting 22-point halftime deficit and a team that resorted to the desperate measure of intentionally hacking Simmons before intermission.
Although John Collins impressed on the inside, a big part of the problem was the lack of secondary scoring for Young from the wing players. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter each struggled with foul trouble and combined to shoot an ugly 0-of-8 from three-point range.
The only chance the Hawks had was someone else filling the void, and the bench unit did just that in the second half.
Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari and even Onyeka Okongwu provided a much-needed spark off the bench as the visitors gradually chipped away at the 26-point deficit. Even cracking the door open a bit was enough for Young, who burst through it in the fourth quarter with a legendary performance.
He scored 13 points in the final five minutes with a mix of floaters, pull-up jumpers and cold-blooded free throws. Philadelphia had no counter as the star guard silenced its crowd just like he did to Madison Square Garden in the first round.
Young is doing this at just 22 years old in his first ever playoffs. No moment has been too big for him, and he is now one win away from eliminating one of the best teams in the NBA and causing upheaval to the championship picture. And if he continues to play like this in crunch time, he will do just that.
76ers Melt Down in Dramatic Fashion
The biggest storyline coming into Wednesday's contest from Philadelphia's perspective was the status of Embiid.
After all, the star big man is playing through a knee injury and went 0-of-12 from the field in the second half of his team's Game 4 loss. The 76ers will fall well short of their championship goals if he continues to play like that, so they wasted little time establishing him on the blocks.
Embiid was dominant in the early going, making his first eight shots from the field as the home team jumped out to a commanding lead. He was fully engaged and even picked up a technical foul for jawing at Clint Capela following a monster Ben Simmons dunk.
Throw in Curry catching fire from deep and even working his way through the defense at times, and the 76ers were in full control well into the third quarter.
And then everything came crashing down.
Tobias Harris was invisible throughout the game and finished 2-of-11 from the field. The bench was a mess, which forced head coach Doc Rivers to bring back Embiid and Curry likely earlier than he planned as the lead shrunk to single digits.
Ben Simmons also missed 10 free throws, which is a major reason Atlanta intentionally fouled him multiple times. The defense that was also dialed in during the early going went missing as Young found openings throughout the fourth quarter, and Embiid even missed two clutch free throws at the end.
What's more, Embiid and Curry were the only 76ers to even make a field goal in the second half. That spelled disaster for the 76ers and a collapse they won't soon forget.
What's Next?
The series returns to Atlanta for Friday's Game 6.
Trae Young Talks Shoulder Injury After Hawks' Game 4 Win vs. 76ers: 'It's Just Sore'
Jun 15, 2021
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 14: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round 2, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on June 14, 2021 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young downplayed his shoulder injury following a 103-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
"It's just sore. I don't know. I don't know how to really explain it to you," Young told reporters after the game.
The 2019-20 All-Star also said he hadn't told head coach Nate McMillan about any issue related to his shoulder.
Fans initially had questions when Young took off his warm-up to reveal kinesiology tape on his right shoulder. The shoulder required additional maintenance early in the game.
Trae Young is 0-5 in 10 minutes, now sitting with a giant heat pack on his shoulder… pic.twitter.com/88vAMFoARE
It's somewhat befuddling how McMillan was kept in the dark.
"When he took off his warm-up, it was the first that I saw that," he said. "I haven’t gotten a report that he has an injury there, but obviously there is something going on with his shoulder there. He hasn't complained, and I haven't gotten a report that they were treating his shoulder."
Things worked out since Young scored a game-high 25 points and had 18 assists in the victory. However, he also shot 8-of-26 from the field and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc.
The 22-year-old has been the engine for the Atlanta offense. He averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists in the first round against the New York Knicks, and he's putting up a double-double (27.3 points, 11.8 rebounds) in the conference semifinals.
Needless to say, the Hawks could be in trouble if Young's injury is worse than he's letting on.
Of course, the Sixers are dealing with injury problems of their own. Joel Embiid's 0-of-12 shooting line in the second half raised concerns about his right knee.
The cliche about how teams simply need to survive and advance at this stage of the season appears apt regarding this series.
Trae Young, Hawks Rally Past Joel Embiid, 76ers in Game 4 Thriller to Even Series
Jun 15, 2021
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young (11) looks to shoot against Philadelphia 76ers' Shake Milton (18) during the second half of Game 4 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, June 14, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
The second-round playoff series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks is now a best-of-three battle.
Atlanta evened the series at 2-2 with a 103-100 victory in Monday's Game 4 at State Farm Arena. Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins and Clint Capela led the way for the Hawks, who ensured there will be a Game 6 in Atlanta with the comeback win.
The defense also deserves plenty of credit, as it limited Joel Embiid throughout the second half including on a key possession in the final 10 seconds when he and Ben Simmons both missed chances that could have given their team the lead. Seth Curry also missed a three that could have forced overtime at the buzzer.
Double-doubles from Embiid and Simmons weren't enough for the 76ers, who will face plenty of pressure as the Eastern Conference's top seed with the series still hanging in the balance after blowing an 18-point lead in this one.
Notable Player Stats
Trae Young, G, ATL: 25 PTS, 18 AST, 4 REB
Bogdan Bogdanovic, G, ATL: 22 PTS, 5 REB
Clint Capela, C, ATL: 12 PTS, 13 REB
John Collins, F, ATL: 14 PTS, 12 REB
Joel Embiid, C, PHI: 17 PTS, 21 REB, 4 AST
Tobias Harris, F, PHI: 20 PTS, 5 REB
Ben Simmons, G, PHI: 11 PTS, 12 REB, 9 AST, 2 BLK
Trae Young and Defense Lead Balanced Effort for Hawks
Young has been one of the breakout stars of the NBA playoffs, and Monday's game was the closest thing he's faced to a must-win after cruising past the New York Knicks in the opening round.
While operating against Simmons' swarming defense is no easy task, he was under the spotlight as his team looked to avoid a 3-1 deficit. It didn't look great from the start, as the guard shot 3-of-12 from the field before intermission and had a large wrap on a shooting shoulder that was already taped when he was on the bench.
The team as a whole also struggled to convert easy opportunities at the rim as it fell behind by double digits in the early going, although Young's facilitating and timely scoring from Bogdanovic kept it within striking distance.
It would have been easy for the Hawks to fold with their star player struggling with his shot and the bench failing to score a single field goal until late in the third quarter as they fell behind by as many as 18 points, but they continued to feed on the crowd's energy and gradually chipped away at the deficit.
Collins electrified that crowd with multiple putback jams, and Young continued to put his teammates in ideal position to score until he finally found the net from deep to cut the lead to two heading into the fourth.
The defense spearheaded the effort for much of the fourth quarter with Capela drawing a key charge on Embiid and the rest of the team helping surround Philadelphia's star and make life particularly difficult for him.
That set the stage for Young to take over during the finishing stretch, and he assisted a Collins three-pointer, made a floater in the lane and connected on four free throws in the final three minutes to ice the win.
76ers Unable to Overcome Embiid's Struggles as They Blow Lead
Winning two straight contests to take the lead in this series wasn't all good news for the 76ers, as they lost Danny Green to a calf injury in Game 3. While he is only a role player, the importance of such absences has been clear with De'Andre Hunter out for the Hawks on the other side.
It also put more pressure on the other players for the visitors who were without one of their sharp-shooters, and they responded right out of the gates.
Philadelphia poured in 62 points in the first half alone to build a commanding 13-point lead. Curry caught fire from deep, Simmons and Embiid had their double-double by halftime, and Tobias Harris was efficient while attacking the lane and hitting from the outside.
With Simmons dishing out assists, Harris dialing in as a scorer and Embiid hitting fadeaway jumpers with impressive touch, it seemed as if Philadelphia would put the game away without much drama.
However, Embiid was never really the same after receiving treatment in the locker room during the first half, per the TNT broadcast. The entire team's offense went missing as he missed every shot he attempted in the second half and appeared to grimace multiple times as he fought through his knee injury.
The visitors saw their lead disappear completely as their star player labored through possessions. To his credit, he continued to rebound, which helped keep it close heading into crunch time.
Still, it was fitting when he missed a potential go-ahead shot at the rim on Philadelphia's penultimate possession. While the 76ers may ultimately win this series, it is difficult to envision them cashing in on championship hopes if Embiid isn't healthy and playing better than he did Monday.
What's Next?
The series shifts back to Philadelphia for Wednesday's Game 5.
