Trae Young led a late Hawks comeback punctuated by an ice-cold game-winner to stay alive in the playoffs against the Celtics, setting off NBA Twitter.
With 6:10 left in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown sunk a 3-point attempt to put his team up 109-96 over the Atlanta Hawks. And with the Celtics owning a 3-1 series lead, it seemed as if Boston was already packing its bags for the Second Round series against the 76ers. Trae Young, however, had other plans.
From that point on, Young led a ferocious charge by the Hawks to storm back into the game, going on a 20-6 run to take a one-point lead after the Atlanta guard sunk two clutch free throws.
So when Derrick White answered with two freebies of his own to give Boston back the lead, it was obvious who the rock was going to. And Trae Young made it count, pulling up from the logo with the Hawks’ season on the line and drilling the 30-footer for the eventual game-winner to stave off elimination.
TRAE YOUNG FROM THE LOGO. HAWKS TAKE LEAD 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/04t1qhiImy
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 26, 2023
Trae Young game-winner keeps Hawks alive vs. Celtics: Best memes and tweets
Naturally, Young’s heroics had NBA Twitter going wild.
Trae Young to all the haters pic.twitter.com/LTt4VtLfF4
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) April 26, 2023
Knicks and Sixers fans to Celtics fans finally getting the Trae Young Experience in the playoffs: pic.twitter.com/OFvjTHkQL1
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) April 26, 2023
“Trae Young and John Collins won 2 games against the Celtics but KD and Kyrie got swept” pic.twitter.com/oqQvgKAVIa
— De🅿️ressed Warriors Fan 💔 (@GoIdenState) April 26, 2023
Trae Young currently pic.twitter.com/01rxAfC1he
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) April 26, 2023
When defenders see Trae Young let it fly with the game on the line pic.twitter.com/THQqcHGUiw
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) April 26, 2023
Trae Young pushing his way back into the GOAT debate pic.twitter.com/SR0G66joET
— Pat Benson (@Pat_Benson_Jr) April 26, 2023
Trae Young when he hears "F--k Trae Young" chantspic.twitter.com/8qvyFsucMb
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 26, 2023
Trae Young’s a dawg. pic.twitter.com/8W7tHfhhpU
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 26, 2023
Fate whispers to Trae Young, 'You cannot withstand the storm.’
— Pat Benson (@Pat_Benson_Jr) April 26, 2023
Trae Young whispers back, 'I am the storm.’
Young’s game-winner gave the superstar guard the final 11 points in the win for Atlanta and punctuated a monster game as he finished with 38 points, 13 assists, four boards and five made 3-pointers. He’s also scored 30 points in each of the last three playoff games for the Hawks.
Of course, to keep fighting off playoff elimination, Young and the Hawks still have a tall task ahead as they still need two more wins to advance to the next round. But if the Atlanta star is going to play like this, particularly in the clutch, it’s hard to count them out just yet.