Trae Young fires off messages after Hawks stun Celtics in NBA Cup opener

The Atlanta Hawks did the improbable.

Down three-time All-Star Trae Young along with a host of other players, the Hawks beat the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference standings, the Boston Celtics, in a down-to-the-wire 117-116 victory.

Dyson Daniels led the team with a valiant 28-point effort in Young’s absence, drawing a reaction from the star in the aftermath.

“DYSON MF DANIELS,” Young posted on X on November 12.

Outside of a rough night from beyond the arc and with 6 turnovers – which were understandable given his increased ball-handling duties – Daniels was flawless. He shot 57.1% from the floor but shot 68.7% on 2s. 

Daniels also had 7 rebounds and another 6 steals, helping to mitigate his giveaways.

The NBA’s steals and deflections leader by sizeable margins, Daniels is everything the Hawks needed him to be and, as soon as his triples start falling, more.

Young also had a shoutout for Jalen Johnson, who tallied his second career triple-double with an 18-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist night that also included 3 steals and a 2-for-4 clip from downtown. It included a message about the youngster’s outlook.

“JALEN TRIP-DUB JOHNSON!!!” Young posted. “This about to be a regular for bro… TRUST!!!”

Onyeka Okongwu tallied 15 points, and 6 boards, and dished out a pair of dimes off the bench. He also got the putback on Daniels’ miss for what was the game-winning basket.

Okongwu was 1-for-4 from deep, but the volume was encouraging. He also continued his trend of playing more minutes than starting center Clint Capela, nearly doubling the veteran up on the night.

“ONYEKA OKONGWU,” Young posted.

Hawks win a shocker – on the road – in NBA Cup Opener

The Hawks are 1-0 in the NBA Cup. Their next matchup will be against Alex Sarr and the Washington Wizards on Friday, November 15. They will also face the Chicago Bulls on November 22 and host the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 29.

A win like this could pay dividends in later matchups and in tie-breaker scenarios as the Hawks vie for the newly dubbed “Emirates NBA Cup.”

The Hawks will hope to be healthier for their upcoming matchups which will only help.

If there is a silver lining to all of the injuries is that the Hawks have gotten to see a lot of their depth options so, once the starters come back, head coach Quin Snyder and Co. know who to turn to if they need it.

Players like Keaton Wallace, who started in Young’s place and finished with 7 points, 8 assists, and 2 rebounds.

“KEATON WALLACE. REMEMBER THE MF NAME!” Young said. “I’m not gonna say it twice.”

Young also had something to say about the officiating before he thought better of it. He previously said that he is taking a more mature approach to his interactions with the officials during games.

“Refs stayyyyyyyyy tryin yo… don’t matter!” Young said in one of his many posts celebrating the team’s victory.

Young was sidelined with an Achilles issue and there have been few details about his status.