Trae Young delivered a dominant performance, scoring 35 points and dishing out 12 assists as the Atlanta Hawks secured a 123-110 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Young made all 21 of his free throws, becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to achieve that mark without a miss.
The Hawks (32-34) extended their winning streak to four games, strengthening their hold on the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. They are now five games behind the idle Detroit Pistons for sixth place as they aim to escape the play-in tournament.
Young struggled from the field, shooting 7-of-20 and missing all five of his three-point attempts. However, his ability to get to the free-throw line proved crucial, especially in the second half when he scored 17 of his points in the third quarter.
Miles Bridges led the Hornets (16-49) with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while LaMelo Ball contributed 25 points and nine assists. DaQuan Jeffries added 20 points, but Charlotte’s bench was outscored 57-18 by Atlanta’s second unit.
The Hawks gained momentum late in the second quarter when Onyeka Okongwu’s layup with 10.6 seconds left gave them a 52-49 lead. That basket ignited a 13-0 run that carried into the third quarter, capped off by three-pointers from Zaccharie Risacher and Mouhamed Gueye.
Caris LeVert led Atlanta’s reserves with 15 points, hitting four three-pointers. Georges Niang added 12 points, while Vit Krejci and Terance Mann combined for 21 points off the bench.
Charlotte entered the game on a two-game winning streak after previously losing nine straight. The Hornets stayed competitive early but struggled defensively as the Hawks pulled away in the second half.
Mark Williams registered a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds for Charlotte. The Hornets shot 45.5% from the field and 40% from three but were unable to contain Atlanta’s offense, which capitalized on 35 made free throws.
Atlanta shot 38.9% from deep and 89.7% from the free-throw line. They outrebounded the Hornets 50-47 and forced 13 turnovers, converting them into 19 points.
