Trae Young had a few challenges in front of him before Game 1 of the first round of Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics, who are looking for a second attempt at the 2022-23 Larry O’Brien Trophy after losing out in the Finals last year.
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One of them was to prove the doubters in Atlanta camp, who reignited his trade talk just before the Playoffs, wrong. The other would be to kill the rivalry that was developing between him and Marcus Smart since their meeting in a regular season game last month.
“Like I said, I don’t play this game to hurt anybody, and it was just a moment where two competitors had a competitive moment,” Smart said. “But I know Trae’s looking forward to this matchup. I’m definitely looking forward to, and it’s going to be a good one.”
Young disappointed. He failed in both challenges in the 112-99 loss by scoring just 16 points. And the player on whom the Hawks are confidently relying to trade Young, Dejounte Murray, could not do anything worth watching either.
Fans roast Trae Young and Dejounte Murray for their horror show in Boston
As a duo, the pair of Atlanta guards went 15/43 from the field and 1/11 from the 3-point line in Boston after “Ice Trae” opened his account like this before the game.
The only three he made in the game was a long-distance banger though. However, the rest of them were all that mattered, and they all were bricks. Fans went ballistic on the duo, especially Young, who shot 36% from the field in the game.
“Couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat,” wrote ‘basketballfever’ on its IG post.
What’s next for Young and Co?
As he and Murray have already given Smart all the confidence he needs in Game 1 itself, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was nowhere close to his last year’s touch this season, will have an advantage in the remaining games.
If the Hawks let the next game slide to the Celtics again, to go up 2-0, they are going to sweep the series in Atlanta. If they want the trip to the Playoffs worthwhile, the Hawks have to win Game 2.
