Surgery for Trae
Young to be evaluated in four weeks
The Hawks have lost All-Star point guard Trae Young for at least four weeks with a left hand injury.
The Hawks announced Sunday that Young suffered a torn ligament in the fifth finger of his left hand during Friday night’s loss to Toronto. Young will have surgery Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
The team said Young will be evaluated in four weeks.
The loss of Young comes as the Hawks, fighting for the final play-in tournament spot in the Eastern Conference, are facing front-line depth issues as center Onyeka Okongwu recovers from a sprained left toe. Coach Quin Snyder said Thursday that Okongwu “is not going to be available for the foreseeable future.”
Young, who made his third All-Star team this year, leads Atlanta with his averages of 26.4 points and 10.8 assists per game. With the loss of Young, Dejounte
Murray likely will assume primary ball-handling duties.
BUTLER, NAJI SUSPENDED
Miami’s Jimmy Butler and New Orleans’ Naji Marshall have been suspended for one game apiece for instigating an on-court altercation, the NBA announced Sunday.
The incident happened during the Heat-Pelicans game Friday night.
Miami’s Thomas Bryant and New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado were both handed three-game suspensions for fighting and leaving the bench area. Miami’s Nikola Jovic also got a one-game suspension for leaving the bench area and entering the altercation, the league said.
The incident started when Miami’s Kevin Love fouled New Orleans’ Zion Williamson under the Pelicans’ basket. Butler and Marshall “engaged in a physical altercation” after the foul, the league said, and Alvarado and Bryant then fought.
Alvarado, Bryant, Butler and Marshall were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game, which the Heat won, 106-95.
TWENTY-FOUR MORE FOR CLARK
Caitlin Clark scored 24 points on the way to her 16th career triple-double, Hannah Stuelke added 20 and No. 4 Iowa defeated Illinois, 101-85, on Sunday.
RED BULLS TIE
Nashville’s Joe Willis and Carlos Coronel of the Red Bulls both opened the season with clean sheets in a scoreless season opener on Sunday in Nashville.
Willis recorded three of his four saves in the first half for Nashville. Coronel did not face a shot on target before intermission. Coronel wasn’t tested until he saved a header by Teal Bunbury in the 58th minute. He finished with three saves.
The Red Bulls’ Franuel Amaya hit the cross bar on a shot in the 63rd minute.