Hawks' Trae Young name-drops Rudy Gobert in reaction to Luka Doncic

The playoffs rage on without the Atlanta Hawks. But Hawks star Trae Young has still taken in all of the action along with the rest of us, and the showings have continued to be impressive.

In the latest showing, Luka Doncic ended the night in Game 2 of the Dallas Mavericks’ second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dallas trailed by as many as 18 points in the contest.

They walked Minnesota down in the second half of the 109-108 victory.

Doncic capped their rally by hitting the game-winning three-pointer over three-time and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and drawing a reaction from Young.

“Come dance with me Rudy !!” Young posted on X on May 24. “Omg”

Notably, Gobert had gotten under Doncic’s skin earlier in the matchup, committing a transition take foul that did not sit well with the Mavs star. That may explain the additional jawing after the shot. Doncic also had words for Timberwolves fans in the stands. 

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch also caught flack for his substitutions late in the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns – the Timberwolves’ $221-plus million star and self-proclaimed greatest big man shooter in NBA history – did not play the final 8:40 of the contest.

Doncic finished the game with a game-high 32 points, with 16 points coming in the second half. He had just five points in the fourth quarter. But the final shot makes it the most critical of his buckets.

Young also noted that Doncic didn’t do it alone, though.

Hawks’ Trae Young: Kyrie Irving a ‘Perfect Compliment to Luka Doncic

Doncic’s co-star, Kyrie Irving, finished the game with 20 points. He scored 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, keeping the Mavs’ rally alive until Doncic’s game-winner.

Earlier this postseason, Doncic noted that he had to pick up his play to help out Irving. But the Mavericks front office did both players a favor, making trades to acquire Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards and P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets.

They also drafted Duke center Dereck Liveley with the No. 10 pick.

The Hawks sought that very pick – though it is unclear how much interest they had in Lively – in trade talks with the Mavericks ahead of the deadline.

That is a shining example of how the smaller moves can have just as big of an impact as the major shakeups are expected to. Just as Young and Dejounte Murray are now, the Mavs dynamic duo faced questions about their ability to co-exist after the 2022-23 season.

They missed the postseason entirely too. 

Now just one year later, they are two wins away from the Finals, the franchise’s first appearance since 2011.

Young has also noted Pascal Siakam’s impact on the Indiana Pacers after his blockbuster trade from the Toronto Raptors. But one has to look no further than the Boston Celtics for an even more extreme example of keeping a dynamic duo together despite some overlapping skill sets. 

Of course, the only other example of such a small, ball-dominant backcourt is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their pairing of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell may have already run its course too. 

Hawks general manager Landry Fields is facing a critical decision this offseason.