He had already done it for his first playoffs and Trae Young did it again for this “play-in” in Cleveland. The leader indeed loves hostile atmospheres and he fed on the animosity of the Cavaliers public.
However, with the return of Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers at +10 and an injured Clint Capela, the horizon darkened for the Hawks at halftime. This is where Trae Young decided to take matters into his own hands, after a first half with 6 points (3/11 shooting including 0/4 from afar), 4 assists and 4 stray bullets.
“Trae has great confidence in his game, in his abilities and he continued to believe in it”explique Nate McMillan. “I didn’t see any panic. He came back in the second half remaining aggressive. His shots started coming in, the same shots he was taking in the first half, they started coming in in the second half. »
While he had tried to take advantage of the “switches” to serve his teammates in the first period, Trae Young changed his approach after halftime, drawing as soon as he could, sometimes from very far away.
And it worked because his second half was magnificent. 32 points at 10/14 shooting including 4/7 from afar, 5 assists and no lost ball! He thus scored or delivered an assist on 43 of the 56 points scored by the Hawks after returning from the locker room. In comparison, the Cavaliers have scored 40 points, in total, during this period.
“We just took matters into our own hands”concluded Trae Young. “The team we beat tonight certainly deserved a place in the playoffs, but this year it’s so difficult. They were unable to do so. It’s just a symbol for our team, which continued to fight. »
As a good troll, the leader could not help saying goodbye to Cavaliers fans, before having to think of Miami, which is now waiting for the Hawks with a firm footing in the first round.
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