Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young played 39 minutes against the Orlando Magic yesterday before being kicked out of the game due to an exchange with a referee. It was only at the end of a blowout loss that Trae finally explained his actions, but he also took it as an opportunity to expose the Magic’s overphysical play.
“I think there were a lot of plays throughout the game,” said Young, via Josh Robbins. “They are a very physical team, and I have had two teammates hurt this year in one game against them. I am not going to call them dirty players or anything like that. I think they have a bunch of talented players, but there are a lot of plays and moments that guys want to try to be more physical to the point where it is not necessary for basketball at that point. I think that is where the frustration got, and sometimes I take out my frustrations on the refs – not just for me but for my teammates. I see Dyson Daniels going, I mean, he may not be a household name yet, but he deserves the same amount of respect as some of these other guys, and if you see a foul, you should call a foul. That’s pretty much all it was for me. For me, it’s just that – nothing more, nothing less.”
It was a wild scene in Orlando on Tuesday as the Hawks tried to make a last-minute comeback. After three-quarters of the Magic playing tough, physical basketball, Young snapped down the stretch, which led to a heated ejection that went viral online.
After a couple of quick buckets, Young refused to give the ball to the referee, resulting in two technical fouls and an escort off the court. Young was frustrated with how the game was being called, and he couldn’t stomach playing another minute of the game.
Young finished the night with 28 points, but he shot just 38.1% as he struggled to score against the Magic’s bigger, stronger rotation. With players like Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., and Cole Anthony, the Magic were able to hold the Hawks to 95 points on 38.1% shooting to cruise to the easy play-in victory.
The Magic have been playing like this all season long, and, according to Young, they are responsible for the injuries to Larry Nance Jr. and Vit Krejci back in February. The modern NBA usually restricts physicality between teams, but something is different with the Magic, and it sets off Trae Young with the whole world watching.
As much as Trae wants to blame the officiating, the real reason for the loss is due to the flaws of his team. Without the proper personnel or team chemistry, the Hawks had no answers for the Magic, and they are on the fast track to nowhere after winning 40 games in the regular season.
Young, 26, is coming off his fourth All-Star season in Atlanta with averages of 24.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on 41.1% shooting. Since making the Conference Finals in 2021, Young has yet to make a similar playoff run, but the Hawks still have time to give him the help he’s been waiting for.
