Trae Young hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Atlanta Hawks the victory over the Boston Celtics Tuesday, helping his team push their playoff series to Game 6.
The Celtics are a heavy favorite to win the Eastern Conference this year, thus the Hawks’ backs were against the wall. Dejounte Murray being suspended for a tense interaction with a referee did not help either, but the two-time All-Star picked up the slack with 38 points and 13 assists, 16 of which came in the fourth quarter and helped the Hawks overcome a 13-point deficit.
John Collins added 22 points, fending off a strong 31-point scoring night from Boston’s Jaylen Brown. Jayson Tatum added 19 points and flirted with a triple-double, assisting 8 baskets and pulling down 8 rebounds. Derrick White scored 18 points, including clutch free throws with 7.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
“I just had to trust in what I’ve done my whole life and shoot it with confidence,” Trae Young said of his clutch three-pointer.
He has embraced the villain role over the last few years, especially after leading the Atlanta Hawks to a five-game victory over the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Boston Celtics’ fans started their own “F**k Trae Young!” chants, but the point guard maintained his composure.
“When people do that I think that’s just total respect,” Trae said about the chants. “I mean, they aren’t doing that to everybody.” His calm demeanor helped him sink several important free throws in that final period. Now, the Hawks look toward Thursday (April 27) when they can potentially tie the series at three games a piece. With Dejounte Murray back and a load of momentum, anything is possible.