Atlanta Hawks: 7 Takeaways from Stunning 111-104 Win Over Dallas Mavericks

Trae Closed the Book with Drawn Fouls and Clutch Buckets

Speaking of winning time, Young came to life in the 4th quarter after being mired in foul trouble in the first half and also just not playing that well – shrinking from the moment and pressure of the “Rookie Showdown.” Doncic, who has played in these pressure-packed scenarios at the professional level since he was 16, came out cool, calm and collected – which is exactly where Young ended up by the end of the game. Young came back in earnest in the 4th quarter and managed to accrue 12 of his 17 points over the final 5:13 of the final frame. Ice Trae used some nifty dribble moves and cagey foul-drawing abilities to get the Mavs off-kilter and reaching on Trae, which led to him going to the line for a whopping 13 free throw attempts for the game. His night was typified by this supremely saucy move to put the Hawks up by 1:

Growth for Young, Huerter Through Adversity

If anything can be taken away for the Atlanta Hawks in this game, it’s that Trae Young and his fellow rookie Kevin Huerter are true gamers. Young, in particular, shook off the terrible start to this game for himself and his team – as well as a poor shooting night – and took the game over down the end. It also must be noted that Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce had faith in his young guns in the 4th quarter to help key the comeback and bringing them on in crucial minutes at the end of this game. Sure, that is the directive he has been given by ownership and management, but it was still nice to see our Young Gun given free reign in this one.

That’s a wrap on the first game at State Farm Arena. While this will definitely be a night to remember, the Hawks play again on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST.