Trae Young is unfazed by the pressure surrounding him and the Atlanta Hawks, as he lifted his squad for a few more days of season survival with an icy go-ahead 30-foot triple in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, 119-117.
Young’s clutch trey with 1.8 seconds left stunned the raucous TD Garden, sending the best-of-seven series back to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday.
“We were down one so I was really trying to get a layup. I was really trying to get into the paint and we had time to do that. … But Jaylen [Brown] backing up pretty hard and expecting me to get to try to go and get to the basket and either get a layup, or a floater of try to draw a foul,” Young said in postgame. “So I could tell he was backing up and then Marcus [Smart] was sprinting up to trap and then at that point I looked up and it was only like three, four seconds left.
“I just had to trust in what I’ve done my whole life and just shoot with confidence.”
Young’s silencer trey served as the exclamation point of the Hawks’ 23-8 blitz in the final stretch of the regulation. Atlanta was down 13 with 6:10 left in the final frame and went on to hold off elimination from Boston for a successful come from behind rally behind the lead of the franchise cornerstone.
Missing the significant presence of backcourt star running mate Dejounte Murray who was slapped by a one-game suspension without pay after bumping an official after their Game 4 loss, Young bravely stepped up when it mattered as he played the entire second half for the Hawks. His 16 markers in the Game 5 fourth period only added up to his final frame heroics that are now in 60-point mark. This serves as the most fourth-quarter points through a five-game playoff series for a player since Kevin Durant in 2011, per ESPN Stats & Info.
“I FaceTimed DJ as soon as I got in the locker room, told him to be ready,” said Young. “I tell him before the game we’re gonna take of business so we can play in Atlanta.
“Can’t wait to see everybody in Atlanta.”
Young finished the match with 38 points and 13 assists. Four other Hawks players provided their assistance, with John Collins resurrecting himself with a 22-point outing and Bogdan Bogdanovic registering 18 points and six boards off the bench.
Meanwhile, the All-Star didn’t got an issue on the “F– Trae Young” chants showered by the Celtics fans late in the game, as he believes these served up as a way of respect and compliment.
“When people do that I think that’s just total respect. I mean, they aren’t doing that to everybody,” Young said.
“I’ve been on in that moment in my whole life. That’s what I do. I’m not afraid of it. I’ve worked too hard to be afraid of the moment.”
The Boston faithful unleashed the expletive jeers as the Hawks were slowly trimming the lead of the Celtics in crunch time.
These chants – which originated from the New York Knicks fans during their 2021 first-round encounter – can only give nothing for Young as his spirit stood up out of urgency to save Atlanta’s year.
“I don’t focus on it. It’s crazy as it may seem,” he said. “I mean, I just don’t really focus on it. I’ve gotten to the point now that it’s not the first time I haven’t heard it.”
