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Trae Young and Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks have proven that they are one of the top duos in the NBA this season. The high-flying center-guard combo has taken the league by storm, producing plenty of stellar performances that have raised their stock.
Clint Capela has been outstanding at both ends of the floor, gathering a league-leading 14.4 rebounds to go with 15.3 points per game in 59 appearances for the Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young's scoring has seen a dip in the 2020-21 campaign, but he has more than made up for that with a career-best 9.5 assists per contest.
The biggest beneficiary of Young's picture-perfect passes and lobs has been none other than Swiss big man Capela.
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The Atlanta Hawks power-packed duo has made a living off their pick-and-roll prowess, tormenting opposing teams' defenses at will. Young's long-range shooting prowess, coupled with Capela's domination in the paint, is a one-two punch most sides don't have an answer for.
Thanks to the duo's exploits, the men in red have been one of the most exciting teams to follow this NBA campaign.
The Eastern Conference team has been hindered by injuries throughout the season. Nevertheless, they have been able to compete at a high level, thanks to Young and Capela's budding partnership.
The Atlanta Hawks look good to end their postseason drought this year. New head coach Nate McMillan has all the pieces he needs to make a splash in the East and announce the team's arrival as a legitimate contender for the future.
If the 2021 playoffs were to begin today, the Atlanta Hawks would have locked horns with the fourth-placed New York Knicks. It is speculation, but the Hawks possess a formidable unit that can beat the Knicks and move to the second round of the playoffs.
On that note, let's have a look the top five performances by the Atlanta Hawks' powerful duo of Trae Young and Clint Capela this season.
#1 Detroit Pistons vs Atlanta Hawks | 20th January
Young - 38 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds.
Capela - 27 points, 26 rebounds, 5 blocks.
This game witnessed the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks, without the services of De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, taking on the Detroit Pistons. Nevertheless, Trae Young and Clint Capela rose to the occasion and guided their team to a thrilling 123-115 overtime victory.
Capela dazzled with a career-high 26 rebounds and a 26-point outing, marking the league's second such performance (25 points and 25 rebounds) since Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a 27-point 27-rebound performance in 2019.
Meanwhile, Capela's backcourt partner, Young, overcame a slow start but finished off the game on a powerful note. He tallied an impressive 38 points to go along with ten assists and four rebounds.
Young, a former All-Star, shot 11 of 26 from the field, while Capela recorded a 10 of 18 shooting display from the floor.
#2 Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks | 6th February
Young - 28 points, 13 assists, 2 rebounds.
Capela - 23 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks.
Another strong showing from the Atlanta Hawks' duo resulted in their team snapping a ten-game series skid against the Toronto Raptors in early February.
A beautiful feed from Young to Capela ended in a highlight-reel-worthy alley-oop dunk that sealed the deal for the Atlanta Hawks late in the fourth quarter.
Trae Young was his illustrious self, registering 28 points and 13 assists on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from the three-point line. Capela, meanwhile. ended his game night with 23 points and 16 rebounds, helping the Hawks beat their Eastern Conference rivals 132-121.
Capela also tallied four of the team's ten blocked shots on the night. The 26-year-old is one of five players with the most blocks per game this season.
#3 Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics | 17 February
Young - 40 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds.
Capela - 24 points, 13 rebounds, 1 block.
Facing challenging odds tends to bring out the best from Young and Capela. In one such instance, the duo helped the Atlanta Hawks snap a long-standing series losing streak, this time against the Boston Celtics.
Trae Young dropped a massive 40 points and eight assists, while Capela added 24 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Atlanta Hawks seal a 122-114 victory. The result marked the Hawks' first win against the Celtics since April 2018.
The C's deployed a Hack-a-Shaq strategy against Capela in the fourth, but it was to no avail, as the big man dazzled from the charity stripe.
Trae Young connected on a crucial 3-pointer to sway momentum in the Hawks' favor. Young scored 16 of his 40 points in the final 12 minutes to fend off a late Celtics rally.
#4 Atlanta Hawks vs San Antonio Spurs | 1st April
Young - 30 points, 12 assists, 2 rebounds.
Capela - 28 points, 17 rebounds, 5 blocks.
Against the San Antonio Spurs in early April, the Atlanta Hawks were able to recover from two late-game meltdowns in a wild double-overtime 134-129 decision in their favor.
After missing a floater for a win in regulation, the game was slipping away from the Hawks. But the star point guard recovered to ensure victory for his team, putting up 15 points in overtime.
Young received ample support from his frontline companion Capela, who recorded an identical 28-point outing.
Young turned the ball over seven times but made up for that with his passing prowess, dishing out 12 dimes in 34 minutes on the floor. Meanwhile, Capela was a beast on the boards, gathering 17 rebounds while also protecting the rim, registering five blocks.
#5 Indiana Pacers vs Atlanta Hawks | 18th April
Young - 34 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds.
Capela - 25 points, 24 rebounds, 3 blocks.
Another tour de force performance from Clint Capela powered the Atlanta Hawks past the Indiana Pacers 129-117 last month.
The seventh-year big man played a little over 35 minutes, tallying an astounding 24 boards to go with three blocks and two steals while also adding 25 points to his tally. The effort marked Capela's second 20-20 game of the ongoing NBA campaign and the tenth of his career.
Meanwhile, orchestrating the offense from the point position, Young kept the pressure on the Pacers by pushing the ball offensively at a high rate. That allowed the rest of the Atlanta Hawks players to find wide-open looks, which they made full use of.
Young filled up the stat sheet with an impressive 11 assists and 34 points, going 9 of 21 from the field for a 42.9% shooting display on the night. He was clutch from the free-throw line, connecting on 13 of his 14 attempts from the Charity Stripe.
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