Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young has always owned the moment, and Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Boston Celtics was no exception. With less than 10 seconds remaining on the clock, the Hawks were down one point and needed a win to extend their season. Young, who had rehearsed this scenario in his mind since childhood, let a big shot fly from near midcourt and buried it. The 30-foot 3-pointer beat the Celtics 119-117 and gave the Hawks a chance to tie the series in Game 6.
Trust in Trae
During a timeout seconds before Young’s shot, Hawks coach Quin Snyder wanted the ball in Young’s hands, but a deep 3 wasn’t the first plan of attack. Snyder instructed Young to try to get to the rim if possible, but if he had space, to seize it and make a play. After Hawks forward Saddiq Bey inbounded into the backcourt, Young began scanning Boston’s defense. He noticed that Jaylen Brown kept backing up, so he decided to shoot with confidence. Young finished with a game-high 38 points, and his game-winning 3-pointer punctuated a closing stretch of nearly four minutes during which he scored the Hawks’ final 14 points.
A Clutch Performer
Young’s performance on Tuesday was reminiscent of his postseason debut in a 2021 first-round series against the New York Knicks. His 32-, 30- and 36-point efforts on the road in Games 1, 2 and 5 led Knicks fans to serenade Young with chants of “F— Trae Young!” The Hawks and Young got past the Knicks and advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. In Tuesday’s game, Young started heating up and closing Boston’s once-13-point lead, and the same expletive of a chant echoed inside TD Garden.
A Must-Win Game
Although Young’s clutch performances are not new, the Hawks are still in an elimination phase. They need to win Game 6 to tie the series and force a Game 7. Young said, “We lose [Thursday] and we’re done. So we’ve got to keep that same energy and be ready to play when we get back home.” The Hawks will need another strong performance from Young to keep their season alive.
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