Trae Young, Clint Capela lead second-half surge in comeback win on NYE

If someone said the Atlanta Hawks (16-19) pulled off a big second-half comeback to end the year, one might think they were referring to their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Instead, this was a wild, rally from being down 16 points to a 113-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on New Year’s Eve.

They are still dealing with a league-high number of players in health and safety protocols which has led to the largest roster in NBA history.

With Trae Young and Clint Capela leading the way, however, they gutted out a win.

Clint Capela and Trae Young helped Atlanta Hawks fans close the year out on a good note

Young finished the game with 35 points and 11 assists. He shot 39.3 percent but was 11-of-22 after starting the game 0-for-6 from the floor. He was also 5-of-12 from three-point range. It was Young’s 15th straight game with at least 25 points (the second-longest streak in franchise history) and second with that many points as well as at least 10 assists.

He leads the NBA in points-assists double-doubles this season despite missing two games while in health and safety protocols. Young scored 25 of his points in the second half in just his third game back.

Afterward, he spoke on the Hawks not watching the scoreboard.

Capela also got things going after the break, going for 12 points and 12 rebounds in the third and fourth quarters combined. Eight of those points along with nine of the rebounds came in a third-quarter that also saw him record two of his four blocks.

It was a great bounce-back performance for Capela after he was visibly gassed going up against the Chicago Bulls Nikola Vucevic.

He got to return the favor to Cleveland center Jarrett Allen.

Allen was making his return from protocols in this contest. Capela finished with 18 points and 23 rebounds, his second game this season with at least 15 points and 20-plus rebounds, and the seventh time he’s done it as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are now 4-3 in those games.

They’ll get a couple of days to rest up and hopefully get some more guys back – like Danilo Gallinari and Kevin Huerter – before taking on the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

John Collins and Onyeka Oknongwu should be right behind them as the Hawks outlook continues to look better and better. They still have to make it through the remaining four games of this road trip before trying to right the ship at home though.