Is Trae Young playing tonight in Game 4 against the Bucks?

Will Trae Young play for the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals?

Heading into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Atlanta Hawks are now facing the prospect of playing without their superstar point guard.

Late in the third quarter of Game 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, Trae Young suffered an apparent ankle injury after accidentally stepping on a referee’s foot. He went to the locker room and had it taped up by the Hawks medical staff but was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

The Hawks, who were up by 3 points at the time of his departure, were outscored 30-17 by Milwaukee in the fourth quarter without Young, turning a 2-point advantage after three quarters into an 11-point loss at home.

The Bucks took a 2-1 lead after dropping Game 1, and now the Hawks’ backs are against the wall going into a pivotal Game 4.

Will Trae Young play tonight?

Young received an MRI on Monday, which revealed a bone bruise in his right foot. According to the NBA’s official injury report, he was listed as questionable for Game 4, which meant he would be a game-time decision.

Unfortunately for the Hawks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Young would be out for Game 4.

This is obviously terrible news, as Ice Trae has been as cold-blooded as his nickname in the playoffs, averaging 29.8 points and 9.5 assists per game. The most concerning tidbit of ESPN’s report is the “severe lack of mobility and significant degree of pain” part.

The Bucks have looked like the better team for most of the last two games, and the Hawks could’ve used another vintage performance from their best player to even the series heading into Game 5.

Head coach Nate McMillan confirmed Young was at shootaround on Tuesday, which felt like a good sign, but now that he’s unable to go, this series could be a wrap.