ATLANTA (AP) — A healthy Trae Young gives the Atlanta Hawks their best hope of overcoming their season injury woes and defeating the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
Young is confident he can deliver his normal production after playing three games at the end of the regular season. His playing time was restricted after missing 23 games with a torn ligament in the pinky finger on his left hand, but he said he hopes to resume normal activity Wednesday night against Chicago.
Young’s return was not enough to prevent Atlanta from entering the play-in tournament on a six-game losing streak. He averaged 25.7 points in the regular season, but was limited to 14, 19 and 12 points in his three warm-up games for the decisive phase.
“I feel a lot better,” Young said after practice Monday, adding that he gained confidence watching his playing time increase to 32 minutes in an ugly 157-115 loss at Indiana to close the regular season. He had 12 points and 11 assists in the loss.
“I’m just trying to make sure I can play at least close to the minutes I played in the regular season in the play-in games,” Young said.
After already losing forward Saddiq Bey to a season-ending knee injury, the Hawks will be without two other key players in their frontcourt, forward Jalen Johnson and center Onyeka Okongwu, for the play-in tournament.
Johnson, one of the team’s most productive starters with his averages of 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, will miss at least three weeks with a sprained right ankle, Okongwu will miss four weeks after a non-surgical procedure to treat an inflammation of the big toe of the left foot. Okongwu averages 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.
2024-04-16 01:06:53
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