The “game recognizes game” display continued for Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young following Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on May 20.
With a 119-108 victory, the Denver Nuggets took command of the series versus the Los Angeles Lakers. The win came largely on the strength of another strong performance from Nuggets guard Jamal Murray who posted his third straight 30-point effort, reaching the mark in three-quarters of work.
“Jamal in his bag right now.” Young tweeted during the game.
Murray is averaging 35.0 points on 52.1% shooting overall while connecting on 45.5% of his threes with 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.0 steals during the series. His 105 points through three games are the most in Conference Finals history, per Stathead.
Young has been keeping up with both Conference Finals series, shouting out Bruce Brown and Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets as well as Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.
If Miami beats the Boston Celtics in Game 3 and takes a 3-0 lead, we may see a Heat-Nuggets NBA Finals. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series in NBA history.
Young is no stranger to strong showings in the postseason, shaking off some of his demons from the 2022 postseason to average a career-best 29.2 points per game while shooting 33.3% from deep which is also the best mark of his career. It came in just five games, surely to Young’s chagrin. But it does bode well for a Hawks team that could see significant changes this summer.
There is already an overhaul of the coaching staff under Quin Snyder and, despite having just two free agents, there is an outside expectation of a roster shakeup.
The front office has been given carte blanche over what direction to take it in.
But Young is one of just two players in NBA history with over 700 points in 27 playoff games or fewer and one of just six players to cross that threshold in fewer than 30 postseason appearances.
Trae Young shouts out WNBA star Breanna Stewart
Young’s appreciation for the game does not stop at the men’s side – he also sent a shout-out to WNBA star Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty
Certified Bucket🔥 https://t.co/Q8GB9JdBqA
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 21, 2023
Last season’s, leading scorer (PPG) in the WNBA, Stewart is averaging 28.5 points on 58% shooting with 12.0 rebounds through two games this season. She also improved upon her 0-for-5 showing in the season opener against the Washington Mystics on May 19.
The Liberty are 1-1 on the young WNBA season with a home tilt against the Connecticut Sun on May 27 up next.