Trevor Ariza made headlines on Saturday for basically shoving Trae Young out of bounds in a 129-117 loss to the Hawks.
It started off as a seemingly normal play until Ariza flipped out– Young was bringing the ball up the floor on a fastbreak and then tried to dribble through Ariza’s leg before being aggressively shoved. It was seen as a dirty and unnecessary move to some, but it was just actually more of a message.
Trevor Ariza wasn't trying to get nutmegged by Trae 😳 https://t.co/71eu7azWNO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 1, 2020
After the game, Ariza explained his behavior.
“I told him, ‘Don’t do that sh*t again; not to me at least’…he can be creative…But all the, like, funnies? I’m not with the funnies. I don’t like the funnies.”
Ariza and Trae dapped it up after the game, so all is good between the two competitors — at least, for now.
Trae and Ariza dapped it up after the game 🤝 pic.twitter.com/eXgZXP2uVW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 1, 2020
For Young, it marks another spectacular moment of what has been an impressive stretch. He has now averaged over 30 points per game and 10 assists per game for two months in 2020 — becoming the youngest player ever to do so for two consecutive months.
And while the Hawks aren’t going anywhere this season, Trae has a bright future in store if his defenders continue to get frustrated at his moves.
