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Atlanta Hawks need spark from Trae Young to slow Boston Celtics


If the Atlanta Hawks are going to overcome an 0-2 deficit in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, they likely will need an improved performance from Trae Young at home Friday night in Game 3. Dejounte Murray has shot 21-for-49 from the field (7-for-19 on 3-pointers) in the series, but Young’s numbers haven’t been as impressive. Young has scored 40 points in the first two games, but is 14-for-40 from the floor and 3-of-13 on 3-point attempts.

Young was showered with chants of “overrated” from Boston fans when he went to the free throw line in the fourth quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Young scored 24 points in that 119-106 loss but was 9-for-22 from the floor and missed six of his eight 3-point attempts. He also turned the ball over five times.

“I can be better,” Young said following Game 2. “I didn’t shoot the ball really well. I had some turnovers where I was just driving and it just left my hands, but I’m going to be better at home.”

Thus far the most productive guard in the series has been Boston’s Derrick White, who has scored 50 points in the two games. Among Boston players, only Jayson Tatum has scored more (54).

“We’re just so much more of a dynamic team when (White) is asserting himself and being aggressive,” Tatum said after Game 2. “We’ve talked about him being too passive and looking for guys too much. He’s like too good of a guy. These last few games, being aggressive, making the right play, attacking the rim (and) not necessarily waiting just makes us that much better of a team.”

White scored 14 of Boston’s 29 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2. He finished that game with 26 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. The late Reggie Lewis is the only other Celtics guard to have at least 25 points and three blocks in a playoff game, doing so in 1992.

White has given the Celtics a reliable third scoring option in the series, behind Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Game 4 in the series will be played Sunday in Atlanta. If the Hawks avoid the four-game sweep, the series will return to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.

“I think we’ve touched on some things that we need to continue to do, just do it for longer,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said.

afectar wrote:Hawks defense on the screens is terrible, but watching AL holding his arms out and holding while moving and it not being call is a problem. No excuse for hawks player to be lost, but watch AL on the backdoor screens.

atlantabbq99 wrote:I totally blame Trae for game 1 and game 2 (and also Collins)..... So Trae should be given alot of credit for game 3.... GREAT JOB!

Trae finally was able to shoot over 50% and get in the lane and use that deadly floater he has. If Trae can just limit himself to only shooting 3 wide open threes a game and focus on throwing up 15 floaters a game, his efficiencies and wins will defiantly go up