Trae Young Gets Hot, Lifts Atlanta Hawks Over Phoenix Suns

The Atlanta Hawks outdueled the Phoenix Suns 116-107 on Thursday night thanks to a strong shooting night from Trae Young. The diminutive two-time All Star logged 37 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists, and an assist.

Came home and it was still cold ❄️❄️❄️ pic.twitter.com/u2TTZx2MDd
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 10, 2023

Young hit 10 of his 18 field goal attempts, including five of eight from deep. It wasn't all perfect; he compiled nine turnovers. Still, it was Young's best game of the new year and his most points since a December 19th win over the Orlando Magic. It was his 18th 30+ point game of the season.

The Hawks are 28-28 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, but they'll have a tough time making a deep playoff run, assuming they can make it out of the play-in tournament. It's been a bit of a disappointing year for Young. He's still averaging an impressive 27.0 points per game and a career-best 10.0 assists per game, but his efficiency has cratered. His .570 true shooting percentage is his worst since his rookie season, and he remains easily exploited on defense: he's sitting at -2.0 in defensive box plus/minus.

The Hawks host the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.