Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young questionable for Game 4 vs. Bucks
Following three straight years of missing the playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks exceeded expectations this season. They finished with the fifth-best record in the eastern conference. One of the reasons for the team’s success has been the play of third-year guard Trae Young.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young has shown he’s built for the postseason
Despite playing in the postseason for the first time, Young has proven he is a big-time performer. In the first-round series against the New York Knicks, Young compiled averages of 29.2 points and 9.8 assists per contest. As a result, the Hawks knocked off the Knicks in five games.
Next up for Young and the Atlanta Hawks was a second-round matchup against the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. That series proved to be a strange one as the Hawks produced three road wins. This includes a 103-96 win in Game 7. In that seven-game set, Young averaged 29 points along with 10.9 assists per contest.
Thanks to Young’s production, the Atlanta Hawks advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 2015. Their reward for making it this far is a matchup against the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. It is worth noting that the Bucks are in the conference finals for the second time in three years.
However, if you thought playing in the conference finals would rattle the third-year guard, you’d be wrong. In Game 1, he scored a whopping 48 points to go along with 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Young struggled in Game 2, scoring 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting. And he connected on just one of his eight attempts from 3-point range.
As is the case with superstar players, Young bounced back in Game 3. In that contest, he scored 35 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the floor. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Hawks from losing the game 113-102. If that wasn’t bad enough, Young was also limited down the stretch with an ankle injury.
Young had an MRI on Monday and a bone bruise was revealed, making his status questionable for Game 4. Young has scored or assisted on 51 percent of the team’s made field goals. And if he is unable to suit up for the next game, Atlanta’s chances of winning the series are very slim.