The Play-In Tournament hasn’t been very kind to Trae Young in recent years. Last season, he was widely criticized for his defense and his 4-of-12 shooting effort in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.
But at least he managed to finish that game. This season, as his Atlanta Hawks faced the Orlando Magic, that wasn’t the case.
The Hawks lost 120-95 to the Magic on Tuesday night, but they actually managed to trim a hefty Orlando lead down to three points in the third quarter. The Magic blew the game open in the fourth, however, and Young was not too pleased about that. After making a runner with the game out of hand, Young was given a technical foul for throwing the ball at an official. And before the game even resumed, he was given a second for kicking the ball and therefore ejected with 4:47 left on the clock.
After the game, pool reporter Jason Beede asked referee James Williams why Young was ejected. Williams did not mince words, saying Young made “a mockery of the game.”
“He received his second unsportsmanlike technical foul for kicking the ball away and making a mockery of the game as we were attempting to shoot the free throw for the first technical foul and by rule when the player receives two unsportsmanlike fouls he’s ejected from the game,” Williams said.
The kicked ball wasn’t the end of things, though. After the ejection, Young, who scored a game-high 28 points, held the ball and refused to give it back so play could resume. As the broadcast noted, he is almost certain to get fined for that before the Hawks play their next play-in game against either the Heat or Bulls on Friday.
Young’s play-in performance, both in terms of his play and his conduct, has now been a story in consecutive seasons, and that will surely factor into Atlanta’s thinking this summer as it considers offering Young a contract extension one year before he can become a free agent in 2026.
Rumors have suggested that Young might look for a new home after the season, and Tuesday at least showed that he is frustrated with the way the Hawks are handling these high-leverage games. Atlanta can get back on track Friday, but the postseason got off to a rough start for the entire Hawks organization Tuesday.
