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Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 33 points and John Collins hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 24.4 seconds remaining Wednesday night, rallying Atlanta to a 120-116 victory over the Washington Wizards to clinch the Hawks&rsquo; first playoff berth since 2017.
Atlanta came into the night tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference and looking to solidify home-court advantage in the opening round.
That&rsquo;s still up in the air, but the Hawks are definitely headed to the playoffs after going through a painful, massive rebuilding job that still appeared to be a work in progress when the team fired coach Lloyd Pierce shortly before the All-Star break while mired at 14-20.
Under interim coach Nate McMillan, who should receive strong consideration in the coach of the year balloting, the Hawks have posted a 25-11 mark to stamp themselves as a dangerous opponent heading into the postseason.
&ldquo;We clinched, baby!&rdquo; the public address announcer screamed after the horn sounded.
Russell Westbrook scored 34 points and dished out 15 assists, but it wasn&rsquo;t enough to prevent another excruciating loss for the Wizards, whose last five defeats have been by a total of 10 points.
Two nights after breaking Oscar Roberson&rsquo;s record with his 182nd career triple-double, Westbrook came up a bit short of No. 183. He was held to five rebounds.
The Wizards were up 100-87 &mdash; matching their biggest lead of the night &mdash; when Davis Bertans knocked down a 3-pointer off a dish from Westbrook with just over 10 minutes remaining.
It didn&rsquo;t hold up.
After missing a couple of 3s that could&rsquo;ve put them ahead, the Hawks finally knocked one down.
Clint Capela got it started with a block on Westbrook, sending the Hawks on a fast break the other way. Young spotted Collins all alone in the corner for the 3 that put the Hawks ahead 117-116.
Raul Neto missed a 10-foot jumer for Washington. Solomon Hill rebounded, was fouled and knocked down both free throws.
The Wizards had one more gasp, but Bertans missed a long 3 from the top of the key. Collins was fouled and sealed the victory by making one of two free throws with 3.7 seconds left.
Collins finished with 18 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 20 for the Hawks.
Washington was held scoreless over the final 2 1/2 minutes, missing its final eight shots.
Atlanta beat the Wizards for the second time in three nights. On Monday, Washington came up just short in a furious comeback from a 17-point deficit heading to the fourth quarter, losing 125-124 as Westbrook missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer.
TIP-INS
Wizards: G Bradley Beal (left hamstring strain) will be re-evaluated Friday after missing both games in Atlanta. &ldquo;Brad wants to get back out there,&rdquo; coach Scott Brooks said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s tough as nails.&rdquo; Beal did some light drills on the court before the game, which Brooks described as &ldquo;the next step progressing in the right direction.&rdquo;
Hawks: Young has scored at least 30 points in three straight contests and five of his last seven games. He has reached that mark 22 times this season. ... Won their ninth straight home game and improved to 17-2 over their last 19 appearances at State Farm Arena.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Return home for their final two games of the regular season, facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Hawks: Play their next-to-last game of the regular season when they host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

The Hawks have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2017, after knocking off the Wizards 120-116.

Hawks clinch playoff berth behind Trae Young's 33 points

Finally, Trae Young ran into someone he couldn't beat.
A referee.
The Atlanta Hawks' playoff star sprained his right ankle in <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1409336114549170176">a freak encounter</a> with an official's foot late in the third quarter of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
Young was able to return for much of the fourth quarter, but he didn't have the sort of explosiveness that has made him the breakout leader of Atlanta's stunning playoff run.
&ldquo;It's sore right now.," he said, <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1409359609089998848">rubbing</a> his forehead. &ldquo;It's hurting. It's frustrating.&rdquo;
Young will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of the sprain. He'll also be getting extensive treatment over the next 48 hours in an attempt to make sure he's as healthy as possible going into Game 4.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how bad it is, but he was definitely limping,&rdquo; teammate Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m guessing he was not feeling very good.&rdquo;
Even though Young finished with 35 points, the Hawks bogged down offensively in the closing minutes, allowing the Bucks to rally for a 113-102 victory that gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.
It's hard to envision the Hawks advancing to the NBA Finals if Young is not at least some semblance of himself the rest of the series.
&ldquo;Of course, he's our best player,&rdquo; Gallinari said. &ldquo;If we had to play without him, it's tough.&rdquo;
Young was injured after he threw a pass that was deflected by Jrue Holiday. The Hawks guard turned to run back on defense, only to step on the foot of ref Sean Wright, who was standing just out of bounds.
It was simply an accident, but that didn't make it any less painful for Young.
&ldquo;I didn't see him,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I guess I've got to have eyes in the back of my head now to see who's behind me.&rdquo;
Young remained down on the court until the next whistle. He hobbled first to the bench and <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1409336827375407104">then to the locker room</a> to be examined.
The Atlanta crowd roared when Young returned to the sideline early in the fourth quarter, having been cleared to go back in the game.
But he was limping noticeably and grimacing when he came up the court. Young made only one of four shots in the fourth period, ruining what had been a bounce-back performance from a tough outing in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wi-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-bb63038e9db97c93aa82d6150a33875f">a 34-point rout</a> by the Bucks in Game 2.
Young acknowledged that he didn't have the speed to blow by defenders the way he normally does.
&ldquo;That's a big part of my game,&rdquo; he said.
Coach Nate McMillan took Young out with just under a minute remaining and saw no reason to put him back in.
Now, the focus is on getting him ready for Game 4.
Young intends to play.
McMillan sounded a little less certain.
&ldquo;I don't know right now,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;When he returned to the floor, he was obviously limping on that (ankle). When I subbed for him. we just decided to keep him out.&rdquo;
Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledged that his team caught a break when Young was injured.
&ldquo;I hope he can compete in Game 4,&rdquo; the two-time MVP said. "Yeah, the Hawks definitely need him. He&rsquo;s a big part of what they do and is tough to guard.&rdquo;
Young has dealt with ankle injuries from stepping on another player's foot.
But a ref's foot?
That was a new one.
&ldquo;Just a freaky accident,&rdquo; Young said.

“Just a freaky accident,” Trae Young said. The focus is on getting him ready for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

All eyes on Trae Young's ankle after freak encounter with ref

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; After relying heavily on veterans for two decades, the San Antonio Spurs are having growing pains in their transformation to a younger roster.
For the first time, San Antonio missed the playoffs for a second straight season after an NBA-record 22 straight appearances.
&ldquo;Unique, roller coaster, weird,&rdquo; Spurs veteran guard DeMar DeRozan said. &ldquo;I think those are three things that sum up this season.&rdquo;
The days of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili guiding a veteran roster have given way to Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker learning on the fly through injuries, little practice and a compacted schedule because ot he pandemic.
It was one of the most confounding seasons for Gregg Popovich, but also one of the most rewarding in his 25 years as Spurs coach.
&ldquo;If any team needs practices to work on consistency and execution, we did,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;(But) I don&rsquo;t know if I have ever been more proud of a team that just doesn&rsquo;t quit. No matter what the mistakes, no matter what the circumstances are, they really fight. That&rsquo;s a good base. So, I&rsquo;m really proud of the way they conducted themselves and played to win.&rdquo;
Popovich, 72, completed the first year of a three-year extension with Spurs. He will coach the U.S. team in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
San Antonio finished 10th in the Western Conference, losing to Memphis in a play-in game. San Antonio trailed by double digits in 58% of this season&rsquo;s games, finishing 9-33 in those contests. The Spurs also led by double digits in 51% of their games, finishing 28-9.
They overcame or lost double-digit leads in multiple games.
&ldquo;Regardless of the situation, we just kept fighting,&rdquo; Johnson said.
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VETERANS
DeRozan and fellow veterans Rudy Gay, Patty Mills and Gorgui Dieng are all unrestricted free agents. San Antonio would like to have all back, but their returns are uncertain.
San Antonio should have money to spend: The Spurs are projected to be second only to the New York Knicks in available cap space this summer.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Spurs have the 10th-youngest roster in the NBA with an average age of 25.3, but that drops to a league-low 23 years old without the four 30-something veterans.
&ldquo;I think overall we can be proud of us for a big majority of our season, but we also know we have a lot that we have to improve on,&rdquo; Spurs starting center Jakob Poeltl said.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-san-antonio-spurs-derrick-white-dejounte-murray-gregg-popovich-colorado-buffaloes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">[Editor's note: Be sure to check out this exclusive interview with Derrick White by our Spencer Davies]</a>
IN AND OUT
The Spurs battled multiple injuries this season, including a series of foot and ankle injuries that forced White to miss half the season.
The team also had multiple players miss two weeks after contracting or being exposed to COVID-19. The league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols forced San Antonio to cut short their annual rodeo road trip in February. Those games were rescheduled for the second half, leading the team to essentially play every other day over the final three months.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a long season,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;We came out and (fought) and gave it our all despite injuries after injuries and not really having a full team. But time goes on and we&rsquo;re going to continue to work hard. We&rsquo;re going to continue to get better. I just don&rsquo;t like losing. I wanted to get to the playoffs.&rdquo;

After relying heavily on veterans for two decades, the Spurs are having growing pains in their transformation to a younger roster.

Growing pains as Spurs transition to younger roster

Any trade involving Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon would reportedly require a suitor to send back a first round draft pick and a promising young player.
Source: <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-trade-rumors-aaron-gordon-spencer-dinwiddie-nemanja-bjelica-aaron-holiday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Minnesota Timberwolves are among the teams rumored to be interested in Gordon. The 25-year-old is currently averaging 13.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists across 21 games with the Magic this season. Orlando also has reported pursuants for Evan Fournier, and while teams have called about Nikola Vucevic, the Magic are reportedly reluctant to trade their star center.

Gordon has drawn interest from opposing teams ahead of the trade deadline.

Aaron Gordon trade would require first-round pick and young player

On Aug. 3, 2021, the Chicago Bulls traded Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a protected first-round pick and two second-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for DeMar DeRozan, who inked a three-year deal worth $85 million with the Bulls.
Young was coming off of one of the most productive seasons of his career, having averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks in 24.3 minutes and winning the NBA's Hustle Award in 2020-21.
Recently, Young was a guest on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-alex-kennedy-podcast/id1528900732?i=1000543435681">&ldquo;The Alex Kennedy Podcast&rdquo;</a> and the 15-year NBA veteran revealed that he was blindsided by the Bulls-Spurs trade since the move didn&rsquo;t line up with what Chicago&rsquo;s front office had just told his camp.
&ldquo;It definitely caught me off guard. I actually learned about it in the parking lot of the Sports Academy in Frisco, TX. I was leaving a session and my phone was going crazy. I&rsquo;d seen that DeMar DeRozan had gotten traded to Chicago and I was like, &lsquo;Why is my phone going crazy for this?&rsquo; Then, I dive a little deeper into it and I see that the trade included me, Al-Farouq Aminu, some picks and stuff like that.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It definitely caught me off guard for the simple fact that I had just talked to my agent and my agent had just talked to everybody in Chicago, and we were being told that I was coming back. And they guaranteed my salary the day before or two days before or something like that and then used it as trade bait. It is what it is; it happens and it&rsquo;s part of the business. But the only thing I wish is that I had gotten the heads up before I found out from social [media].
&ldquo;I was getting ready to gather my family up and get everyone ready and situated to come back to Chicago. If I had signed another lease in Chicago, then I would&rsquo;ve been stuck in a lease for a year and trying to figure out how to get out of it. If I had moved my family up there and came back early because my kids had to go to school, then that would&rsquo;ve been a waste of money and a waste of time. The good thing was I was still at home and I was able to kind of maneuver through everything and it was still in the summer. But like I said, I would&rsquo;ve rather found out from them firsthand as opposed to finding out through social.&rdquo;
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=BNI3085218416" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Recently, Young&rsquo;s name has been <a href="https://theathletic.com/2789891/2021/08/30/ben-simmons-update-one-on-one-with-liangelo-ball-plus-more-nba-news-and-notes/?source=twitterhq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surfacing in trade rumors</a> once again since the Spurs are rebuilding, and a number of contenders (including the Phoenix Suns) have expressed interest in his services.&nbsp;
The 33-year-old is used to popping up in trade rumors, and he&rsquo;s flattered that so many teams recognize his value. Also, he believes that a big reason why his name ends up in the rumor mill so often is because he can fit with just about every team around the league &mdash; on and off the court.
&ldquo;For me to always be in trade rumors or anything like that, it just says that there&rsquo;s a lot of interest from other teams and that teams see what I&rsquo;m doing,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;They see and understand who I am as a player, they see that I&rsquo;m always locked in, they see that I&rsquo;m always going to be a help and never be a nuisance, and they see that I&rsquo;m always going to be a key asset to a team. I might not always be the main piece, but I&rsquo;m one of the most important and valuable pieces that you can have.
&ldquo;The one thing I&rsquo;ve prided myself on is just continuing to be professional and making sure that if I&rsquo;m part of a team, I&rsquo;m part of that team. I&rsquo;m not one foot in and one foot out. If I&rsquo;m putting on that jersey and they&rsquo;re paying me and they&rsquo;re putting their trust in me, I&rsquo;m going to make sure that I&rsquo;m there for them. I think that&rsquo;s one of the biggest things.&rdquo;
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Young is playing just 15.6 minutes per game for San Antonio, while averaging 7.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a steal (and shooting 59.6% from the field). He said he understands that the Spurs are in the midst of a rebuild, so they need to give their younger players significant playing time.
It remains to be seen if Young will be moved once again prior to the NBA&rsquo;s trade deadline on Feb. 10, 2022. If he is, hopefully the deal doesn&rsquo;t catch him off guard this time around.

Thad Young tells Alex Kennedy that last summer's trade was a shock since the Bulls had just told his camp that he'd be back in Chicago.

Thaddeus Young was blindsided by Spurs trade, Bulls said he'd be back

The New York Knicks were an elite defense this season. They finished the 2020-21 campaign fourth in overall defensive rating (107.8) and third in half-court defense (93.1), per Cleaning The Glass.&nbsp;
Not only were they good; they were consistently good. They ranked no lower than ninth in defensive rating for any calendar month.&nbsp;
Head coach Tom Thibodeau schemed up a disciplined squad, built on a strong middle presence, weak-side overloading and an inherent trust that his guys would be able to close-out hard enough to make corner skips moot. To that point, no team allowed a lower field goal percentage at the rim (60.5%) or from three (33.8%) than the Knicks, per Cleaning The Glass.
While the reward of the regular season was high, there were always exploits. Teams struggled to convert at the rim, but had less issue getting there; the Knicks ranked 21st in the percentage of shots allowed at the rim. The same could be said for threes -- corner shots specifically. Only four teams allowed a higher share of corner triples than the Knicks (9.7%).
If only there was a team, maybe even a specific player, that was good enough to poke at the inherent limitations of the Knicks' scheme.
Enter the Atlanta Hawks, and enter Trae Young.
Young has simply been incredible through three games, averaging 27.7 points on 50% shooting from two, 43.8% shooting from three, 94.1% shooting from the line, and 10.3 assists. The efficiency of the points stand out, but it's not enough that Young has been efficient; he's done so in a way to completely break what the Knicks want to do.
It all starts at the point of attack. Their primary point guards -- Elfrid Payton in spot-starter minutes, and Derrick Rose -- are tasked with fighting over (high) ball screens and staying attached to Young's side or hip. From there, they must funnel Young into tough spots. Long twos are the goal, but forcing Young to finish over Nerlens Noel is a nice consolation prize.
The issue is that Young is a bit too slithery to contain. He's done a great job of mixing in straight-line attacks off of screens, or playing the pace game to wrong-foot defenders into taking bad angles.
Young isn't a Curryian shooter by accuracy, but he is by audacity. He's good enough at those deep bombs -- he shot 36.2% on threes from 30 feet or farther this season, per Synergy -- to require attention.
Higher ball-screens = more space for defenders to navigate.
More space to navigate = more avenues for Young to get to his spots.
You don't want Young to get to his spots.
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Even when defenders are able to stay attached and force Young downhill, he's been wildly effective on floaters. He's converted half of them when taking them out of pick-and-roll in this series, per Synergy.
Below, pay special attention to the pace that Young plays this pick-and-roll. He doesn't start his attack until Reggie Bullock (please stop putting him on Trae, Thibs!) leaps out of position. Young gets into Bullock's body, then explodes away from him before using an inside-out dribble to free Taj Gibson. The sneaky part about Young's floater is that they look identical to his lob passes.&nbsp;
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He's also mastered the art of the instant deceleration, cutting his drive short to draw a foul. He's drawn fouls on 11.1% of his pick-and-roll possessions in this series, a slight decrease from his regular-season clip (11.8).
Same process as the Bullock clip above. Young gets Alec Burks off-balance before driving and gaining inside leverage. Once he feels Burks on his hip, he just... stops.&nbsp;
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That's just Young as a scorer. Passing remains his best skill, as hard as that may be to believe. Even at his size, every pass in the book is available to Young, with either hand.
Young has to account for every defender on the floor when initiating in pick-and-roll. He only&nbsp;reads&nbsp;the third defender in the action, typically the weakside defender.
If that defender doesn't come for a tag, Young knows he'll have a 2-on-2 to work with. That 2-on-2 is generally a 2-on-1 with the way Young consistently gets his defender on his hip. If the big isn't in perfect positioning, buckets will be had.
Here's a clear example in the video below. The Knicks do a solid job here of shutting down the initial "Double Drag" action. But watch what happens next. Young and John Collins reset and flow into a 1-4 pick-and-roll of their own. Taj Gibson has to stay with Clint Capela in the dunker spot, and RJ Barrett doesn't provide extra relief on the other side of the action. Easy lob.
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And if a third defender does slide over, Young can make them pay with live-dribble skips. This is an incredibly tough pass that he makes look easy. The key to all of this is Rose; once Young sees him drop down to provide extra relief, he knows where the ball is going.
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The Knicks have mostly committed to their drop scheme in this series, though they've sprinkled in some hedges and flat-out traps. This is a sound adjustment on the surface. Young is small, and the Hawks don't necessarily have a Draymond Green on the roster to operate as a short-roll threat.
But how good is a trap if Young can dribble out of it?
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Not very.
Through three games, Young has proven he's the best player in this series. Not only is he the best player on the floor, there's no real answer for him. That's the scary part for the Knicks, but ultimately a hat tip to Young's offensive prowess.
He's arrived, y'all.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan details how Trae Young has carved up the New York Knicks in their first-round playoff series.

Trae Young has cracked the Knicks' code

The Atlanta Hawks announced that All-Star guard Trae Young will not return to Monday night's preseason game vs. the Miami Heat due to a right quad contusion. Young suffered the right quad contusion during the second-half of the Hawks preseason opener. The team later confirmed that Young would not return to the game via Twitter:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
An <a href="https://twitter.com/emoryhealthcare?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@emoryhealthcare</a> injury update: Trae Young (right quad contusion) will not return. <a href="https://t.co/PLmxTJFywN">pic.twitter.com/PLmxTJFywN</a>
&mdash; Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1445193517232427010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

The Hawks may just be exercising extreme caution with their standout point guard, considering this is just preseason, but expect updates on Young's status going forward.
&nbsp;

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young left Monday night's preseason game vs. the Heat due to right a quad contusion.

Trae Young leaves preseason game with quad contusion

Trae Young has signed a multi-year contract extension with Adidas and will become the nineteenth active NBA player to release a signature shoe.
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Young joins fellow Adidas athletes James Harden, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Derrick Rose and Aaron Gordon in the signature shoe department. The 22-year-old is one of the most prolific young point guards in the league. Last season, Young averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per game for the Atlanta Hawks.

The 22-year-old becomes the sixth active Adidas player to earn a signature shoe.

Trae Young to release signature shoe with Adidas

Trae Young paused in the middle of his postgame comments, perhaps wondering if he was going too far &mdash; or sensing that he already had.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to get fined too much, but it&rsquo;s frustrating,&rdquo; the Atlanta star said.
There's no telling how the league will receive Young's latest words. This wasn't some unhinged rant, but he certainly had plenty to say about the officiating after the Hawks <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-bradley-beal-atlanta-hawks-montrezl-harrell-c669ea08a732a34f4667ed82fbdfb025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost 122-111</a> to Washington on Thursday night. Young was one of five players who received a technical foul during the game, and another one was given out for delay of game.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of missed calls," he said. "It&rsquo;s basketball. It&rsquo;s just, it feels that they&rsquo;re learning, and they&rsquo;re just &mdash; I don&rsquo;t know. It&rsquo;s frustrating.&rdquo;
Young went into more detail moments later. There's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-basketball-steve-nash-trae-young-b0b7e1ba4edb771201775ae1498f5970" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a new crackdown</a> this season on non-basketball moves designed to draw contact. Officials aren't supposed to call defensive fouls when that happens, and Young and James Harden are often mentioned as players who could be significantly affected.
Young averaged 8.7 free throw attempts a game last season. He's averaging 4.4 this season after taking only three Thursday.
&ldquo;I saw James said it&rsquo;s about him, but it&rsquo;s not targeting just one player or two players,&rdquo; Young said.
Young mentioned Damian Lillard and Devin Booker, a couple other star scorers off to relatively slow starts.
&ldquo;You can watch basketball. Damien Lillard&rsquo;s never averaged 17 points probably since his rookie year," Young said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a couple guys. I mean, Book&rsquo;s averaging 18. There&rsquo;s a lot of things that, when guys are driving straight and guys are getting knocked off balance &mdash; it&rsquo;s still a foul, whether they&rsquo;re using their lower body or their hands.&rdquo;
Young said he isn't completely against the changes, but he still wants certain contact to be whistled.
&ldquo;Veering back and jumping into guys -- that&rsquo;s different,&rdquo; he said. "There are certain things that, I agree with the rule changes, but then there&rsquo;s things that are still fouls, and guys are going to get hurt. Especially a smaller guy like me who&rsquo;s going up against bigger and stronger defenders, they&rsquo;re using their body and they&rsquo;re using their legs and their hands to stop me.&rdquo;

Young averaged 8.7 free throw attempts a game last season. He's averaging 4.4 this season after taking only three Thursday.

Trae Young speaks out on officiating changes: 'It's frustrating'

The Hawks list Trae Young as questionable for Game 6 of the Eastern Comference finals.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1411067940309438468" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Young has missed two straight after he was forced from Game 3 when he inadvertently stepped on a referee and went down. On their home court and with their lives on the line, the Hawks hope their star point guard can return to the floor and force a do-or-die Game 7.

The Atlanta Hawks have ruled Trae Young as questionable for Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks with a foot injury.

Trae Young (foot) questionable for Game 6 vs. Bucks

Trae Young has Atlanta floating through the postseason.
Young&rsquo;s soft release on his high arcing shot over taller defenders creates easy buckets. Sometimes the shots are confused for lobs and snatched by his teammates for easy jams (Clint Capela got credit in Game 1 for an accidental alley-oop).
His floater is automatic.
Take that away, no worries. Young is almost as skilled as knocking down 3s from just over the line &mdash; the half-court line.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really just figuring out what type of defense they&rsquo;re in and attack it,&rdquo; Young said.
Young took a bow in New York, then took his breakout postseason off-Broadway to Philadelphia where he helped the Hawks pull off a Game 1 stunner and grab control of the Eastern Conference semifinal.
He&rsquo;s like a slogan from those old Veg-O-Matic commercials: He floats! He lobs! And he julienned the Sixers into their worst half of the season.
What will Young do next?
&ldquo;This is his stage now,&rdquo; Hawks forward Solomon Hill said Monday. &ldquo;He has the opportunity to play the best basketball of his career at the right moment.&rdquo;
Game 2 is Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Young scored 25 of his 35 points in the first half of a 128-124 win on Sunday in a game where the Hawks led by as much as 26 points. Young&rsquo;s dominance at the basket may have fallen off a bit in the second half &mdash; as the Hawks saw their lead sliced to two &mdash; but not his court awareness. With the Sixers on a run, Young let an inbounds pass bounce and roll on the court <a href="https://twitter.com/johnhollinger/status/1401717213757726720">for nearly 20 seconds</a>, methodically devouring critical time needed in Philadelphia&rsquo;s comeback attempt.
Young joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the 1970 Milwaukee Bucks as the only players in NBA history to score 30 points in each of their first four career playoff road games.
Here&rsquo;s the hook for the rest of the series: If Young can maintain his pace &mdash; creating his own open looks and <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1401629437746159621">setting up teammates for their own</a> &mdash; then the Hawks just might be East contenders. Young downplayed his own milestones in the Game 1 win when he became the first player in Hawks history to score at least 35 points and have 10 assists in a playoff game.
&ldquo;None of these guys care about it in this room. All we care about is wins,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve been doing and taking care of business. We just have to have that same mentality going forward. If we do that, we&rsquo;ll be OK.&rdquo;
HAWKS AT 76ERS
Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: 76ers center Joel Embiid took at least one hard hit to the court when he lunged to commit a foul late in the game and acknowledged &ldquo;playing on a torn meniscus is not easy.&rdquo; Coach Doc Rivers said he checked in with Embiid about five times during the game to see if the big man was still feeling good enough to play through the cartilage tear in his right knee. Rivers often says all minutes are not played evenly, because superstars are asked to do more on both ends of the court, and Embiid played a hard 38 minutes.
Rivers said Embiid &ldquo;looked pretty good&rdquo; during a light workout on Monday.
&ldquo;I think we always have to worry,&rdquo; Rivers said Monday. &ldquo;I don't think we're out of the woods. I think after each game, he's going to be evaluated for a while. I don't know how long that lasts. It may be three, four, five games.&rdquo;
Embiid said there&rsquo;s not much he can do except keep the knee iced, keep it elevated and manage the pain and swelling. The NBA MVP candidate insisted if he&rsquo;s playing, he&rsquo;s not on the court worrying about his knee.
&ldquo;If you look at the history, every time I&rsquo;ve had an injury, it always feels like I never miss a beat,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I go out there and I&rsquo;m not thinking about what happened or what may be going on. It may be bothering me, but I&rsquo;m just not thinking about it. I just want to focus on giving my all, just playing hard every single possession.&rdquo;
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: The Sixers bench. Rivers stuck with his all-second team unit of Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, George Hill, Furkan Korkmaz and Dwight Howard in the first half even as the game got out of hand. The lineup was scoreless with five turnovers and was outscored 10-0 over a brutal 2:40 stretch that put the Sixers deeper in the hole. Hill and Howard, Embiid&rsquo;s backup, both went scoreless.
&ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t work, but neither did the first group early,&rdquo; Rivers said.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Hawks forward De&rsquo;Andre Hunter sat out Game 1 with a sore right knee. He did not practice Monday and will be a game-time decision for Game 2.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: 76ers guard Ben Simmons. He was an NBA defensive player of the year candidate for a reason, so it was a bit puzzling he didn&rsquo;t get an earlier call to guard Young. Danny Green instead had the assignment and could not stop Young in the first half.
Green said Monday it's not &ldquo;an individual effort&rdquo; to stop Young.
&ldquo;He's a great player. He's obviously figured it out,&rdquo; Green said.
Simmons had four steals in Game 1 and said he was ready to get the assignment on Young for Game 2. Much like he has all season, Simmons again struggled from the free-throw line, going 3 for 10. Simmons believes he could use 6-foot-10 frame against the 6-1 Young to his advantage.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking to come in there and see if I can be a little more physical next game and see if the refs are going to let us play a little bit,&rdquo; Simmons said.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

If Trae Young can maintain his pace — creating his own looks and setting up teammates — then the Hawks might be East contenders.

Trae Young shines for confident Hawks under playoff pressure

Last season, Trae Young was a starter on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He received 2,829,969 fan votes, which was the most of any East backcourt player. League-wide, the only guards who had more fan votes were Luka Doncic (6,111,735) and James Harden (3,751,362). 
Young also had the support of his fellow players last year, as he received 65 player votes (the third-most of any East backcourt player). He had the second-most media votes among East guards too.
Now, one year later, Young was left off of the All-Star team altogether. The East&rsquo;s backcourt will instead feature Kyrie Irving and Bradley Beal in the starting lineup, with James Harden, Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine and Ben Simmons serving as the reserves.
While it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-atlanta-hawks-guard-trae-young-biggest-2021-all-star-snub-coach-votes">somewhat shocking</a> that Young wasn&rsquo;t selected as a reserve by the East&rsquo;s head coaches, the bigger surprise is just how few votes the 22-year-old received this time around.
This year, Young received just 991,857 fan votes, which was sixth among East backcourt players. That's nearly a third of the votes he received last season. (Young also received the sixth-most media votes).
Also, Young received just 20 player votes, which was 11th among East guards. That means players felt there were 10 East backcourt players more deserving of an All-Star nod than Young. Jaylen Brown (49 player votes), Ben Simmons (38), Fred VanVleet (26), Kyle Lowry (22), Malcolm Brogdon (21) were among the guards who received more player votes than Young. Consider this: Trae received just three more player votes than R.J. Barrett.&nbsp;
Are fans (and even some players) souring on Young a bit?&nbsp;
This season, he's averaging 27.0 points, 9.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 threes and 0.8 steals while shooting 43.4% from the field, 37.0% from three and 87.7% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
Last year, he was selected as an All-Star starter despite Atlanta being at the bottom of the standings. But after making a number of win-now moves over the offseason, the Hawks were expected to win more games and make the playoffs. Instead, they haven't lived up to those heightened expectations (in part due to injuries) and they currently sit at 13-18, which is 11th in the East. Perhaps that hurt Trae&rsquo;s All-Star case.
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It&rsquo;s possible that Young&rsquo;s style of play rubs some people the wrong way too. Young draws a lot of contact and gets to the free-throw line often. This season, he's attempting 10.3 free throws per game, which is the third-most in the NBA (behind only Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo). By comparison, Harden shoots 7.1 free throws per game.
Earlier this season, Young kept drawing fouls against the Brooklyn Nets and a frustrated Steve Nash <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinNets/status/1344497844540076032">told the refs</a>, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not basketball!&rdquo; (Nash was Young&rsquo;s favorite player as a kid, and the comment seemed to bother him a bit).
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Also, thanks to a report from <a href="https://theathletic.com/2307304/2021/01/08/atlanta-hawks-john-collins-trae-young/">The Athletic&rsquo;s Sam Amick and Chris Kirschner</a> earlier this season, we know that John Collins was critical of how Young was running the Hawks&rsquo; offense during a film session. Several other Hawks players reportedly agreed with Collins&rsquo; assessment. The main complaints were that the ball was in Young&rsquo;s hands too much, the offense needed to flow better and that Young was taking too many early-shot-clock attempts.&nbsp;
Perhaps it was a combination of things that led to Young receiving significantly fewer votes from fans and players, but regardless of the reasoning, it&rsquo;s interesting to note.&nbsp;
Young has shown that he can score the ball as well as just about anyone in the NBA and he&rsquo;s still only 22 years old, so the sky's the limit for him. He seems poised to be one of the next-generation faces of the NBA along with Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson, which is why these results are so surprising.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Without being hot takey, do you agree or disagree with me on the reasoning behind Trae Young being left out of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> Game? Subscribe, review, comment Keepin' It 94 🎙️ Apple 🍏: <a href="https://t.co/RrwjmQqEaV">https://t.co/RrwjmQqEaV</a> Spotify: <a href="https://t.co/fcdTWlK2Bz">https://t.co/fcdTWlK2Bz</a> Stitcher: <a href="https://t.co/Sdq8uPiD3f">https://t.co/Sdq8uPiD3f</a> <a href="https://t.co/5V9vCgqCzo">pic.twitter.com/5V9vCgqCzo</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1364681603318964227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Last year, Trae Young received the most All-Star votes of any East guard. This year, he got way fewer votes from both fans and players.

Are NBA fans and players souring on Trae Young?

Trae Young responded to news of the Heat and Spurs postponing tonight's game with two questioning emojis.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1476290547010711555?s=20">Trae Young</a>
ANALYSIS: Trae Young has gotten into it with Jimmy Butler in the Miami Heat in the past, being called out by Butler for declaring a game over and then going onto lose.
Young followed that game up with a 50-point game at a later date.
The Hawks have also been without Young due to him being in protocols as of late, though they have not cancelled any games, and could perhaps be questioning the theoretical double-standard.
&nbsp;
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🧐🤔 <a href="https://t.co/dvXkoKnjYz">https://t.co/dvXkoKnjYz</a>
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1476290547010711555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2021</a>&nbsp;</blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/32p9lLLff1">pic.twitter.com/32p9lLLff1</a>
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1476292512436346880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Trae Young responded to news of the Heat and Spurs postponing tonight's game with two questioning emojis.

Trae Young takes aim at Heat-Spurs game being postponed

Atlanta Hawks All-Star G Trae Young has agreed to a five-year, $207 million designated rookie maximum extension, his agent Omar Wilkes of @KlutchSports tells ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1422406264940859392" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Trae Young is coming off a phenomenal season with the Hawks, scoring 25.3 points per game during the regular season and leading Atlanta to the Eastern Conference Finals where he increased his PPG to 28.8 on 41.8% shooting from the field.

According to ESPN, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a five-year, $205M contract extension.

Trae Young, Hawks agree to five-year, $207M contract extension

<div>
<div>
<div id="id__7e7abii052r" dir="auto" lang="en">[Atlanta] Hawks star Trae Young will play in Game 6 tonight vs. Milwaukee [Bucks], sources tell @wojespn and me. Young missed the last two games with a bone bruise in his right foot.</div>
<div dir="auto" lang="en">&nbsp;</div>
<div dir="auto" lang="en">Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/malika_andrews/status/1411466137188147202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter)</a></div>
<div dir="auto" lang="en">&nbsp;</div>
<div dir="auto" lang="en">ANALYSIS: As Andrews mentioned, Young missed the two previous games with a foot injury inadvertently suffered in Game 3. With him set to return, however, the Hawks have a legitimate chance to force Game 7 against a Bucks squad without their superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo.</div>
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Down 3-2, the Hawks need everything Young can give to keep their NBA Finals bid alive.
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Trae Young is set to play in the Atlanta Hawks Game 6 tilt with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Trae Young (foot) to play in Game 6 vs. Bucks

The understated highlight to Trae Young&rsquo;s Game 1 performance against the Philadelphia 76ers was a simple turnaround floater on the left baseline in the fourth quarter. Philly&rsquo;s defenders were frozen in place, and one of the many pushes the Sixers made in the final minutes was snuffed out again. Young made the shot and promptly skipped away, seemingly pleased with his performance and the arena&rsquo;s relative silence -- the equivalent to kicking sand in the eyes of the Sixers&rsquo; animated, blue-collar crowd.
The Atlanta Hawks&rsquo; first-round matchup against a darling New York Knicks team introduced everyone to a necessary character in the league&rsquo;s postseason soap opera: the villain. In order to fill this role, a player must be skilled enough to frustrate opposing fans and confident enough to relish the role by absorbing blows from detrimentally competitive players and fans alike. Young was bodychecked by Nerlens Noel on his way to the locker room, which led to cleared benches and a scuffle behind him as he continued his stroll and straightened his posture, looking a little impressed at his ability to provoke. He was spat on by a fan before an inbound pass, declining to press charges and opting to continue the series without distraction.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s at this point that Knicks fans came to a terrifying realization: with every shaken fist and raised middle finger, Young consumes their energy like a Dragon-Ball-Z alien antagonist, ready to return the enthusiasm on the court in the form of deep threes and woven pick-and-rolls.
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This dynamic that audiences enjoyed so much in Atlanta&rsquo;s first-round matchup will likely carry over into round two. And in Joel Embiid, we may get twice the chosen violence. Both stars love talking to hostile crowds as monolithic viewers, mouthing taunts and smirking, skipping, shuffling, and thrusting their hips after especially impressive baskets. It&rsquo;s great.
These two franchise cornerstones have an alternative understanding of their positions as NBA superstars, an understanding more camp and audacious. Young and Embiid see cameras, a tipsy audience and adjust accordingly &mdash; as evidenced by Young&rsquo;s literal bow after a 30-foot exclamation point against the Knicks in Game 5.&nbsp;
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As self-appointed performers, the overzealous joy and villainy they bring is in refreshing contrast to the players too cool for such antics. Yeah, you may get a smirk out of Kevin Durant, a blank expression out of Kawhi Leonard, and maybe a gesture to Dame Lillard&rsquo;s imagined watch when he&rsquo;s feeling particularly sassy, but these measured responses don&rsquo;t compare. 
When players behave as theatrically as Embiid and Young, they do so completely prepared for the inevitable response and potential embarrassment they&rsquo;ll undoubtedly receive for those inefficient, off nights. Young will bow after eliminating your team, but he&rsquo;ll take a loss on the chin too. Embiid will taunt opponents after an and-1, but he'll cry when he loses on a Game 7 buzzer-beater. They have an ability to remind us of the fun in the game -- a reminder that enjoying these moments rather than focusing on long-term narratives is where this excitement exists. Also, both sides of the spectrum show how much they care about this game.
To be treated to not one, but two agents of chaotic confidence has already proven special after Game 1.
Being listed as a game-time decision wasn&rsquo;t enough suspense for Embiid; he had to up the ante. WWE star Triple H was the franchise&rsquo;s bell-ringer for this matchup. As a reference to what has become a viral on-court celebration for the big man, Embiid walked onto the court alongside Triple H donning a DX &lsquo;Thrust The Process&rsquo; shirt. This latest addition to his &lsquo;Process&rsquo; lore (following the &lsquo;Phantom of the Process') set the stage for the antics we can expect to see all series long.
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this is the absolute peak for any Attitude Era/NBA fans out there. haven't been this hype since Rodman walked out with the NWO. <a href="https://t.co/2O2iVF9tWW">pic.twitter.com/2O2iVF9tWW</a>
&mdash; Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1401590327098683398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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 But &lsquo;Ice Trae&rsquo; is an equally pompous competitor who loves the spotlight. Young utilized his every acquired skill in a single Sunday afternoon, slicing up the Sixers&rsquo; defensive gameplan by forcing a multitude of adjustments in the form of traps and full-court presses, all while contributing 10 assists to get his teammates involved.&nbsp;
The Sixers were initially taken aback by the way the star guard immediately dictated the rules of engagement, though it didn&rsquo;t take long for Embiid to join in on the fun, repeatedly calling for the ball in the post during the final minutes of the game and contorting his body into layups to induce contact (punctuated with an accomplished yell each time).&nbsp;
Atlanta ultimately came away with the win, but it's already safe to say that this series is primed to be a bright spot of the postseason, and these stars are ready for the challenge&hellip; to say the least.
&nbsp;"All the individual stuff is for the birds...&rdquo; Young said following the Game 1 win. &ldquo;All we care about is wins."

Trae Young and Joel Embiid know how to put on a show. They love hostile crowds and big stages, which is why this series should be fun.

Joel Embiid has met his theatrical match in Trae Young

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; When the Atlanta Hawks were excluded from the bubble last summer, Trae Young stewed at home.
He watched games on television, enviously tweeted about what he was missing, and longingly visualized what it would be like to play a starring role when it really matters in the NBA.
Now, he's got his chance.
Talk about rising to the occasion.
Young has joined an extremely rare group of point guards and guided the Hawks to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ny-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-new-york-knicks-nba-sports-1fe8f37d9b9a044c1c9ab3b53d0729c1">a 3-1 lead</a> in their opening-round playoff series against the New York Knicks.
Atlanta will try to wrap it up Wednesday night in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, where a fan spit on Young as he inbounded the ball the last time he was in New York.
No worries on Young's end. That just shows how much he's gotten under the skin of the Knicks and their fans.
&ldquo;I love it,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;This is a fun series.&rdquo;
He has become just <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1399089061193732099">the fourth player in NBA history</a> to average at least 25 points and 10 assists in his first four career playoff games.
The others: Oscar Robertson, Kevin Johnson, and Stephen Curry.
The 6-foot-1 Young has befuddled the Knicks with <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1399725111641624603">a dazzling array of moves</a> and passes. When they sag into the lane, he'll pull up for the jumper. When they crowd him on the outside, he'll take it to the hoop. When others are open &mdash; and the Hawks have plenty of shooters &mdash; Young delivers passes in about every way imaginable.
&ldquo;He really doesn't have a weakness,&rdquo; said interim Hawks coach Nate McMillan. &ldquo;He takes what the defense gives him.&rdquo;
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As good as he is as a shooter &mdash; Young's range is roughly just inside the half-court line &mdash; his passing maybe even better.
He even amazes himself at times.
&ldquo;I always know in my mind where I want to go with the ball," Young said. &ldquo;Sometimes, it trips me out the way it goes. A couple of games ago, I did <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1392625937427181569">a behind-the-back pass</a> to Tony (Snell) in the corner. I knew where I wanted to go with it. I just hoped it got there. The fact that it got there, I was pretty tripped out by that.&rdquo;
The charismatic Young has never shied away from the spotlight, making it clear from the day he arrived in Atlanta that he was more than willing to be the face of a team that has largely been a forgotten NBA outpost.
Even though <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-washington-wizards-new-york-knicks-nba-sports-2396183616449b68485403a291785c61">the Hawks made the playoffs</a> for the first time since 2017, most of the hype was on the Knicks &mdash; a flagship franchise in the league's biggest media market that ended an eight-year postseason drought of its own.
The underdog role suited Young well. He's often griped about how the Hawks are overlooked, from a lack of national television appearances to him being passed over for a spot in this year's All-Star Game in his home city.
&ldquo;We have been disrespected all this year and overlooked a lot,&rdquo; Young said.
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With Young as the centerpiece of a massive overhaul, the Hawks went 49-100 during his first two seasons in the league. Last year, after the season shut down because of the pandemic, Atlanta was one of eight teams that didn't take part in the Disney World bubble.
It was tough for Young to watch.
&ldquo;I started training the first day everyone got in the bubble and started playing," he recalled. &ldquo;Being at the house late at night, watching those games, seeing all those playoff games, seeing guys in the play-in games, even when they were just playing (the last few regular-season) games, for me it was frustrating. I wish I could have done more to help our team get there. For us to be here now means a lot to me. And this is just the beginning.&rdquo;
Young is seemingly picking up new fans with every stellar performance.
After the Hawks romped to a dominating victory in Game 4, <a href="https://twitter.com/IsiahThomas/status/1399074598562537474">Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas</a> chimed in on Twitter.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the real deal,&rdquo; Thomas wrote. &ldquo;Let it be known!&rdquo;
McMillan has worked with Young to cut down on his turnovers. After averaging 4.14 per game during the regular season, he's given up the ball only 11 times in four playoff games.
&ldquo;He's showing growth in managing and running a team," the coach said. &ldquo;He has to cut down the turnovers. He's too good of a passer to have five or six turnovers a game. Two is OK. But five or six is a big number for a guy who passes as well as he does.&rdquo;
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Young was picked fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma, going to the Hawks in a draft-night deal that sent All-Star Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks and also brought Atlanta a future first-round pick (which was used for Cam Reddish).
It is a trade that is still hotly debated around the league, but <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-oh-state-wire-sports-charles-barkley-ca-state-wire-cb12144e9637411983238168bb5677af">neither team is complaining</a> about who they ended up with.
No matter what, Young and Doncic will surely be linked for the rest of their careers.
That's not an issue for Young.
He welcomes the attention. Craves it, actually.
&ldquo;I want to do something special" he said. &ldquo;I want to be different. This is a fun opportunity, a fun stage to really do that.&rdquo;
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Trae Young is just the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 25 points and 10 assists in his first four career playoff games.

Atlanta's Trae Young shining in first trip to NBA playoffs

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers have been named NBA Players of the Week for the final week of the regular season.&nbsp;
Young averaged 24.3 points, 8.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in a perfect 4-0 week for the Hawks. His week included a 36-point outburst and 33-point barrage in two games against the Washington Wizards.
In the West, Lillard helped Portland go 3-1 while averaging 31.8 points and 6.8 assists per game. The star guard dropped 41 points in a one-point loss to Phoenix and finished off the season with 22 points and 10 assists in a win over the Denver Nuggets.
Both players helped their teams make the playoffs and bypass the play-in tournament. Atlanta is the fifth seed in the East bracket, while Portland is sixth in the Western Conference.

Young and Lillard helped propel their teams to the NBA playoffs.

Trae Young, Damian Lillard named NBA Players of the Week

Trae Young was back at Madison Square Garden.
Once again, he played the heel.
Atlanta&rsquo;s star guard made a surprise appearance at &ldquo;WWE Friday Night SmackDown,&rdquo; returning to the arena where he led the Hawks to an NBA playoff victory over the New York Knicks.
Wearing a gray Hawks hoodie, Young was the perfect wrestling villain after getting under the skin of Knicks fans with his stellar performance in a sport that&rsquo;s not scripted.
Young was introduced to the crowd of more than 14,000 by wrestler Sami Zayn, who said he &ldquo;arranged for a very special guest to be in our corner tonight, someone who actually knows what it takes to win at Madison Square Garden.&rdquo;
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Trae Young pulled up to WWE Smackdown at the Garden 💀<a href="https://t.co/aCRJL5ZKhD">pic.twitter.com/aCRJL5ZKhD</a>
&mdash; Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1436488043515588611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Young hit a game-winning shot against the Knicks in Game 1 of the playoffs, sparking the Hawks to a five-game upset victory. He seemed to thrive on the raucous boos of the New York faithful, which culminated in an ugly incident where a fan spit on Young.
Which, of course, provided the perfect setup for Young to play a bad-guy role in wrestling.
He soaked up his boos on the way to the ring and clearly seemed to the relish the setting, though a rough encounter with a referee ended his night.
From outside the ring, Young grabbed fan favorite Rey Mysterio as he was hanging over the ropes in an apparent choke hold, prompting the ref to eject Young from the match.
&ldquo;The ref said, &lsquo;Hey, Trae, you&rsquo;re not that special, pal,&rsquo;&rdquo; crowed WWE commentator Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what Trae&rsquo;s gonna do. Trae wins at all costs. You can&rsquo;t do that around here. You have rules.&rdquo;
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Trae Young got tossed for interference <a href="https://t.co/UyuP54B1XG">pic.twitter.com/UyuP54B1XG</a>
&mdash; CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) <a href="https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1436487805358772231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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In the Eastern Conference final, Young sustained an ankle injury when he inadvertently stepped on an officials&rsquo; foot. That forced him to miss two games in a series the Hawks lost to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.
It was the same ending in the ring.
After Young was tossed, the team he was supporting wound up losing their match when Zayn was pinned by Big E.
Backstage afterward, Young was already pitching another WWE card set for New Year&rsquo;s Day at State Farm Arena, the Hawks&rsquo; home court.
&ldquo;It was fun,&rdquo; Young said in a tongue-in-cheek interview with WWE. &ldquo;It definitely felt like maybe the fans are still upset with what happened in the playoffs. But maybe when we can go back to Atlanta January 1 it will be a lot different, the reaction, for sure.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Atlanta’s star guard made a surprise appearance at “WWE Friday Night SmackDown" in New York.

Trae Young back at MSG — this time playing a wrestling heel

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1410730600999243776?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Hawks guard Trae Young will miss Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a foot injury. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1410688914302521347?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Clint Capela (eye injury) will be active for Atlanta.
Young suffered the injury when he stepped on an official's foot in Game 3, and will be missing his second consecutive contest. Capela was listed as "questionable" for the game, but will play. Game 5 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.
&nbsp;

Young will miss his second straight game due to a foot injury.

Trae