Quin Snyder sends message about Trae Young after career night in Hawks win

The Atlanta Hawks did it again.

Just over two weeks to the day after the Hawks stunned the Celtics in Boston, they gave the Cleveland Cavaliers their second loss of the season and the first in the typically friendly confines of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

And, perhaps to the surprise of many, they did it without big scoring night from three-time All-Star Trae Young.

“I think really after our start, he was – there was frustration; there was from our whole team,” Snyder told reporters on November 27. “It's probably the most significant thing, for me, in the game, is the way we reacted to being down and Trae in particular. And that's something that has been a point of emphasis for him; just keeping his poise. 

“If we start slow there's usually – he's the head of the snake, and he can't internalize that to the extent that it takes him back, and he threw himself into the game. And, probably, the biggest thing in my mind that he did tonight is he really just pushed the ball.”

Young finished with 20 points in an inefficient night.

He shot 33.3% and was 3-for-13 from beyond the arc. But Young also dished out a career-high 22 assists in the contest.

“He did a great job forcing tempo, and he forced guys to run,” Snyder said. “Then whether it was him pushing on the dribble or, even more importantly, passing the ball ahead. And he gave guys opportunities to make plays in the open court and trusted his teammates.”

Trae Young gets honest about career night in Hawks win

“It was a good game,” Young told reporters on November 27. “I got everybody involved. I don't think it was my best one; I didn't shoot the ball really well, I could have made some more shots for my team, and had some really good looks. But I'm going to make those shots. But my teammates made shots, and I got them the ball in the spots that they like, and they made plays. That's how you get an assist. So it's teamwork.

“They're a really good team, and they've been playing really well all year,” Young said. “I feel like we've been a little bit inconsistent with how we've been playing. But the times that we've been playing really well, we've been playing really well. And if we can just find some type of consistency with the way we play really well, I think it'll help us.

Young said it was “great” to get the win on the road. But his calls for consistency are well-warranted.