Trae Young Impresses Fans amid Trade Rumors as Hawks Upset Heat in Play-in Game
The Atlanta Hawks are moving onto the NBA playoffs after upsetting the Miami Heat 116-105 in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Tuesday.
Hawks point guard Trae Young, who surprisingly became the subject of trade rumors with the play-in game looming, clapped back with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Six other Hawks scored in double digits, including Dejounte Murray's 18, and Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds en route to leading Atlanta to a 63-39 board differential.
Miami scored the first bucket but never led again on a night where Atlanta once held a 24-point edge. Heat point guard Kyle Lowry came off the bench to score a game-high 33 points on 11-on-16 shooting, but the Hawks' well-rounded offense was too strong for a top-heavy Miami team.
And with that, Atlanta moves onto the playoffs to cap a tumultuous campaign that reportedly featured tension between Young and former head coach Nate McMillan, who was eventually let go in favor of Quin Snyder.
The chaos and drama may have only gotten louder with a loss Tuesday, given the trade talk, which Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer relayed on Monday.
"With the offseason approaching, league sources say the Hawks' front office has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving All-Star point guard Trae Young," O'Connor wrote.
Perhaps Atlanta will consider blowing it all up this offseason after going for it all last offseason with its acquisition of an ex-San Antonio Spurs superstar in Murray.
For the moment, though, the vibes are good in Atlanta, who advanced to the playoffs for the third straight year.
During and after the game, Twitter praised Young for elevating his play while in a tough spot on and off the court.
The Hawks will now take the Eastern Conference's No. 7 seed and play the Boston Celtics in the first round. The Miami Heat will face the winner of the Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls play-in game.
