The Atlanta Hawks were given a bit of a basketball lesson in the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals. The final margin was 34 points in favor of the Milwaukee Bucks but it could have been a lot worse.
Trae Young, as the team leader and superstar, took the blame for the loss upon himself. He had a poor game with nine turnovers and only went 1-of-8 from deep on his way to just 15 points. Young did not play at all in the final period of the game.
The best thing about the playoffs is that the players have very little time between games to reflect on their last outing. Young had his second bad shooting night in three games, but this time the rest of the team could not carry him into the last quarter for him to win it.
Which Trae Young turns up for the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3?
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Young had the best game of his short career in the first game of the series. His 48 points performance was up there with some of the all-time greats. Then, the Hawks point guard followed that performance up with his worst one of the playoffs.
However, every player is allowed to have a bad game, even the stars of a team. The mark of how good a player lies in how they can respond to the adversity, and how they perform on the biggest stage in the next game they play.
If he can come back to the player he has been throughout the playoffs, he is going to need the rest of the team to do their roles. Coach Nate McMillan would be preaching belief to his team, and they have believed in this mantra since he took over.
When Young took responsibility for the team’s performance in the second game, he also said that he will be better. For a player who has been doubted, snubbed, and outright disrespected throughout his career, there can be little doubt he will be fired up and will produce for his team.