The Hawks star had a solid game but it was not enough.
Three-time All-Star Trae Young expressed frustration, saying what happened to the Atlanta Hawks against the Dallas Mavericks “should never” occur. Despite holding a six-point lead at halftime, the Hawks ended up losing by 10 points, marking their third straight loss and fourth in their last five games.
Young contributed 18 points, 16 assists (with only three turnovers), three steals, and two rebounds, shooting 41.7% from the field and 50% from three-point range.
Trae Young voiced his frustration with the Mavericks’ defensive strategy, which he described as a “high school defense,” after the Hawks’ loss on November 25.
“To be honest, during the game, I think it was effective,” Young admitted. “It’s tough. We’re taking a lot of 2s, a lot of mid-range shots. I hate that they played a high-school defense against us tonight in zone, and it worked.”
He emphasized that such a strategy “should never work” against the Hawks. “Going into a zone and being able to stop us—it shouldn’t happen. I’ve got to go back and watch the film, but I think we got some good looks, great shots. It’s tough when you’re scoring 2s, and they’re coming down hitting 3s,” Young said. “We were taking tough shots and missing right at the rim, while they were hitting big threes.”
“I’ve got to go back and watch the film,” Trae Young said. “But I feel like we got some good looks. Obviously, we could have been better, too. Still, 120 points is a lot of points. I don’t think that’s why we lost tonight.”
The reason for their loss? Plain and simple—it came down to their defense.
The Hawks started strong, holding the Mavericks to just 28 points in the first quarter. However, their defense faltered as the game progressed, allowing 33 or more points in each of the remaining quarters. In the second half, the Mavericks outscored them 68-52, sealing the Hawks’ defeat.
