Make that a 5-6 mark for the Atlanta Hawks following a 127-121 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Following the contest, Hawks star Trae Young did not mince words about what went wrong down the stretch of a game that saw 26 lead changes take place.
Young finished with 28 points, 13 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal. He also had 4 turnovers. But his inefficiency was the most problematic issue.
Young shot 37.5% overall and was 1-for-6 from deep. He was 1-for-5 in the fourth quarter.
“I missed some floaters,” Young told reporters after the game on March 4. “It’s a lot easier to make shots when you’re ahead. And so I feel like the floater that could have tied it back at 123 [apiece] – there’s a couple shots that didn’t go in. And I got to be better. Tonight’s game is not on anybody but me. I got to make some more shots late in the game, and I got some looks and can’t depend on the ref to do their job. So I got to be better, and I will be.”
Young had 4 assists, and the rest of the Hawks shot 9-for-17 in the frame. But the Hawks went nearly three full minutes without a field goal as the Bucks’ lead went from leading by 1 point to trailing by as many as 8 points.
The Hawks had five players score in double figures compared to six for the Bucks. Both teams had two players score 20-plus points.
They learned before tipoff that head coach Quin Snyder would miss the game with an illness.
“None of us knew until literally right before tipoff – I think, after they announced our names and starting five – that he wasn’t going to be here. So he was here earlier … for a second. So it kind of surprised us. But we still had a game to play, and so we had to go out there and play. And sucks we couldn’t get the win for him. But yeah, it was definitely surprising.”
Hawks go as Trae Young goes
Young praised the contributions of rookie No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. But especially as currently constructed, the Hawks will only go as far as Young can take them. His efficiency has been an issue all season.
The thing is, Young has also been one of the best scorers in the clutch. The Hawks also do not have a better primary option, even with the strong performances of the supporting cast.
That is what makes the rest of this season so difficult to judge.
These Hawks were built around three pillars: Young, Risacher, and Jalen Johnson who is out for the season with a torn labrum. That derailed the season in many aspects, and it has left the Hawks facing a dour outlook the rest of the way.
Add the looming uncertainty around Young’s contract situation and the significance of the rest of this season becomes clear.