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 ‘Ice Trae’ was ruled out due to right Achilles tendinitis. But the Hawks thrived amid adversity and sneaked a one-point win against the lethal reigning champs. And Atlanta’s sidelined talisman sprung back into the spotlight, as he made sure to rub salt on the C’s misery, calling out the game officials after 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 Young’s absence, the Boston side did even worse with 20 turnovers!

Sure enough, these mistakes cost the Jays as they lost their first group-stage game of the Emirates NBA Cup. Moreover, it was a collective effort from the Hawks squad as 5 players scored in double digits with Dyson Daniels leading the charge with a 28-point outing. Jalen Johnson stole the show with his 18-point triple-double. And Atlanta 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 home side 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 Young’s absence. Yes, Jaylen Brown did what he was supposed to do as he went off for 37 points! Moreover, he also drained 3 shots from deep range. Even Derrick White exceeded expectations as he had one of his best games, finishing with 31 points. But the duo’s effort was not enough to get their team the win.

Surprisingly, Jayson Tatum struggled to find his groove tonight and had an underwhelming shooting performance. The hoopster 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. The C’s bench embarrassingly accounted for just 6 points of the total scoreline! Well, that was one of the key reasons why the reigning champs could not beat a shorthanded Hawks squad.

“They outplayed us, every facet of the game,” HC Joe Mazzulla admitted after the game. “They beat us on all the margins, and they deserved to win… They played harder, and they played more physical than we did. They got 20 offensive rebounds and forced us into 20 turnovers. You let a team outshoot you by a shot margin like that, and you’re not going to win.”

Trae Young was undoubtedly proud of the outcome. Hopefully, he’ll return soon and help his team (5-7) carry the momentum forward.