Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young electrified the NBA world with his half-court buzzer-beating game-winner during Tuesday's road clash against the Utah Jazz. Young's shot left many in disbelief, seemingly including Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry, who reacted on social media the following day.
After relinquishing a 16-point first-half lead, Atlanta led 121-118 with 8.8 seconds left and needed one defensive stop to hang on for a win. It nearly got one when guard Dyson Daniels deflected Utah's inbounds pass. However, Jazz guard Collin Sexton tracked down the loose ball and drained a game-tying step-back wing 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds to go.
With no timeouts remaining, the Hawks inbounded the ball to Young, who took two dribbles before hoisting up a 49-foot prayer at the buzzer. To the dismay of the Delta Center crowd, he cashed the deep triple, giving Atlanta a 124-121 victory.
Following Young's clutch play, his teammates enthusiastically swarmed him as he carried out his signature "Ice Trae" celebration.
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Despite enduring an inefficient shooting night (6-for-16, 37.5%), Young finished with 24 points, a game-high 20 assists and three treys.
After the contest, many across the NBA landscape reacted in astonishment to the three-time All-Star's emphatic game-winner and 20-20 performance.
On Wednesday, Curry, widely considered the NBA's all-time greatest shooter, joined in, sharing Young's half-court buzzer-beater to his Instagram stories. The two-time MVP added a cold face emoji in his caption, referencing Young's "Ice Trae" nickname.
With Tuesday's win, Young and Co. snapped a three-game losing streak and crawled back over .500 (19-18) amid their quest to secure a top-six seed.
Trae Young on his half-court buzzer-beating game-winner against Utah
While NBA half-court game-winners are rare, Trae Young has long waited for his chance to hit one.
Following Tuesday's contest, Young noted that he regularly practices hitting deep shots in hypothetical end-of-game scenarios. He added that he was grateful to see his hard work come to fruition.
"We practice those shots growing up and having fun, and even in practice," Young said (Timestamp: 1:12). "I'm just glad I had an opportunity to do it in a game and win it for us."
Atlanta will look to ride the wave of momentum from Young's game-winner when it concludes its six-game road trip on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns (16-19).
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