NBA Refs Catch Strays From Injured Trae Young As Boston Celtics Struggle To Beat Short-Handed Hawks

No Trae Young, no problem. As the Hawks prepared for tonight’s encounter against the Celtics, many counted them out even before the game began. Obviously, they were missing their best player as Trae was ruled out due to right Achilles tendinitis. But the Hawks thrived amid adversity and sneaked a one-point win against the reigning champs. And Ice Trae made sure to rub salt on the Celtics’ misery as he called out the game officials following the impressive win.

Although Young did not suit up tonight, he was watching closely. And he was not pleased with the way the game was being officiated. Expressing his frustration toward the referees after the game, he tweeted, “Refs stayyyyyyyyy tryin yo… don’t matter! @ATLHawks”

Well, tonight’s game was rather chaotic as both teams were having a tough time taking care of the ball. While the Hawks committed 16 turnovers in Trae’s absence, the Cs did even worse with 20 turnovers. Sure enough, these mistakes cost the Celtics as they lost their first group stage game of the Emirates NBA Cup.

Moreover, it was a collective effort from the Hawks squad as five players scored in double digits with Dyson Daniels leading the charge with a 28-point outing. Meanwhile, Jalen Johnson stole the show with his 18-point triple-double. And the Hawks needed a performance like this to win as they were missing multiple key players tonight including Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cody Zeller, and more. But where did the Celtics go wrong?

Jayson Tatum’s struggles overshadow Jaylen Brown and Derrick White’s epic performance

Unlike what many expected, the Celtics were not able to capitalize on Trae’s absence. Yes, JB did what he was supposed to do as he went off for 37 points. Moreover, he also drained three shots from deep range. Even Derrick White exceeded expectations as he had one of his best performances, finishing with 31 points. But the duo’s effort was not enough to get their team the win.

Surprisingly, Tatum struggled to find his groove tonight and had an underwhelming shooting performance. He was only able to score 20 points and shot five of sixteen from the field. Moreover, no other player from their squad was able to score in double-digits. Well, that was one of the main reasons why the reigning champs could not beat a shorthanded Hawks squad. And Trae was proud of the outcome. Hopefully, he will return soon and help his team carry this momentum forward.