Skip Bayless discusses Trae Young and the Hawks’ upset win against the Milwaukee Bucks after their 116-113 win in Game 1 of the ECF.
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Competing in what was labelled a ‘David vs Goliath’ matchup from the start, the tenacious Atlanta Hawks have now become only the fourth team in NBA history to win three Game 1s on the road in the playoffs, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
In a game that saw substantial contributions from multiple players on the Hawks, Trae Young had perhaps the most meaningful and sensational performance of his NBA career until now, scoring 48 points with 7 rebounds and 11 assists in 41 mins.
The 22-year-old was certainly having the time of his life doing the shimmy before knocking down a 3 pointer, all in the middle of an Eastern Conference final. Trae’s 48 points last night ties LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the most points scored in a postseason game in NBA history before turning 23.
The Hawks seem to relish playing games on the road and have yet again demonstrated an ability to switch gears at will along with a knack for swooping in for the win.
With just 4 minutes left on the clock, Giannis’ Bucks were 7 points up and seemed to have all the momentum until a few wasted possessions later and the Hawks were on their way to steal the game outscoring the Bucks 18-8 in the last frame.
Giannis finished the game with 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Jrue Holiday was instrumental for Milwaukee as he contributed 33 points, 10 assists and five rebounds to the Bucks’ effort but, in the end, that wasn’t enough.
Skips Bayless criticizes Giannis’ inability to close the game despite being up by 7
Infamous for his overdramatic and hyperbolic flair, analyst Skip Bayless weighed in on the Hawks’s upset win over the Bucks criticizing Giannis for not being able to close the game when they had the chance.
“In the end down the stretch, the difference in the game was that little David slayed Goliath.. I think Trae Young outplayed Giannis down the stretch of this game.”
Recognizing the remarkable game that Trae Young had, Skip wasn’t going to let the 2 time MVP (Giannis) off the hook that easy
“If he’s that guy, he takes over that Game 1 at home when you’re up 7. He’s the one who slams the door, give me the ball get out of my way I’m going to do it one way or another.. He was not able to do that.”
Skip ended his monologue pointing out how even though Trae had a relatively dull 4th quarter going 1/7 from the floor, the fact that he managed to get 9 points (thanks to the 7 free throws) to Giannis’s 6 in the last 4 minutes of the game made all the difference.
If anything, the Atlanta Hawks have yet again made a resounding statement with this road win. Now, as the Bucks regroup it will be interesting to see how they decided to contain Trae, especially his deadly pick and roll offensive which seemed to be a nuisance for the Bucks.
