Trae Young Hits A Shimmy, Crosses Over Bucks In Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Finals
Trae Young is clearly having fun playing in his first Eastern Conference Finals.
The Atlanta Hawks point guard hit a shimmy after crossing over Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and hit a wide open 3-pointer on the way to a game 1 victory in the semifinal series bout.
Young tallied 48 points and 11 assists in the Hawks’ 116-113 victory over the Bucks in Game 1 and became the second-youngest player in NBA history to have at least 45 points and 10 assists in a playoff game. Luka Doncic, who was essentially traded for Young during the 2018 draft, is the youngest.
Young’s latest performance just adds to the memorable moments in an already impressive collection of them in this year’s playoffs. Young has had at least 25 points and 10 assists in five playoff games and is averaging 30.5 points and 10.5 assists in 13 games.
"He just has the skill that these top players have in this league," Hawks coach Nate McMillan said, according to USA Today. "You have to put him with the top guys in the league. He really doesn't have a weakness on the offensive end of the floor. He can shoot from deep. He stretches the floor. He has a mid-range game. He will pass the ball, find his teammates. He shoots free throws well."
Young’s impressive performance has also come against some great competition as his playoff opponents have touted some of the NBA’s best defensive prowess. The New York Knicks touted the No. 4 defense in the league, Philadelphia the 2nd, and Milwaukee the 9th.
"He's seen all the defenses that teams have played against him," McMillan said. "We've talked about this throughout the season. He's seen a box-and-one. He's seen bigger defenders. He's seen physical defenders. He has seen teams trap and try to get the ball out of his hands.
"This is part of the growth that he has to go through, and the good players, they go through this and they learn from it,” he added. “But they don't allow the different coverages to take them out of their game. They still find ways to be productive, and Trae has been able to do that."
Young explained why he made the gesture before hitting the 3-pointer and says it really came down to the amount of time he had.
