On December 30th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with the Atlanta Hawks visiting the Toronto Raptors. The Hawks were on a three-game winning streak, high in morale; while the Raptors were on a nine-game losing streak, struggling. The game started with the Hawks taking an early lead and building a double-digit advantage, which the Raptors only managed to reduce to single digits towards the end of the second quarter. In the second half, Trae Young took charge of both scoring and organizing, leading the Hawks to score 40 points in the third quarter and extend the lead to over 20 points. In the final quarter, the Raptors attempted a comeback, but the Hawks maintained control of the game. Ultimately, the Hawks won convincingly with a score of 136-107.
The Raptors boasted an enviable group of tall forwards, with obvious advantages in the paint. Throughout the game, the Raptors outrebounded the Hawks 52-40 and outscored them in the paint 54-46. However, the Raptors' tactics could not defeat the Hawks, who played with a fluid offense that was faster, steadier, and more accurate. The Hawks scored 30 fast-break points compared to the Raptors' 10, had 22 steals (the highest in the league in the last three years), forced 31 turnovers from the Raptors, and scored 30 points off those turnovers. Additionally, the Hawks shot 18 three-pointers at a 40% rate, while the Raptors shot only 7 out of 24 three-point attempts, with a meager 29.2% success rate.
The Hawks' victory was comprehensive, with Trae Young demonstrating the power of a top-tier dual-threat guard, reaching a master level! In the game, Young played for 32 minutes, shooting 10 out of 21 (7 out of 13 from three-point range) and making all 7 free throws, scoring a total of 34 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, with a plus-minus of +39, the highest on the court! In the first quarter, Young used his relentless three-point shooting to help the Hawks seize the initiative. When the Raptors increased their defense and double-teamed Young, he responded by dishing out 6 assists in the quarter to activate the team. In the third quarter, when the Hawks extended their lead, Young scored 12 points and 3 assists, almost single-handedly punishing the Raptors' changing defense. This is Trae Young, capable of attacking and passing, providing the Raptors with two deadly options, both leading to certain defeat. At the same time, Young also achieved an NBA record previously held by Westbrook.
According to NBA official statistics, this is the 84th time in Young's career that he has scored at least 30 points and 10 assists in a single game, tying him with Westbrook for fourth place in NBA history, behind Harden (103 times), James (104 times), and the Big O (227 times). Young achieved this feat in just 438 games, averaging one 30-point and 10-assist game every 5.2 games; Westbrook achieved it in 1192 games, averaging one such game every 14.2 games. It's worth noting that Harden achieved 103 such games in 1102, averaging one every 10.7 games; LeBron achieved 104 such games in 1520, averaging one every 14.6 games; and the Big O achieved 227 such games in 1040, averaging one every 4.58 games. Young is only 26 years old, and at this pace, he has a chance to surpass Harden and LeBron on this statistical leaderboard and even catch up to the Big O!
After this game, the Hawks have won four consecutive victories, with a record of 18 wins and 15 losses, ranking fifth in the East, only 1.5 games behind the fourth-placed Magic (20 wins and 14 losses), and leading the sixth-placed Bucks (16 wins and 14 losses) by 0.5 games. In this process, Trae Young's proactive transformation is particularly noteworthy. In 31 games, Young has averaged 22 points, 3.6 rebounds, 12.1 assists (first in the league), 1.3 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers. At least from the current situation, there is hope for Young to return to the Eastern Conference All-Star starting lineup! What do you think about this, basketball fans? Leave your comments and discuss below.