Hawks’ Young is questionable with bone bruise
Hawks guard Trae Young suffered a foot injury when he took a step back in Game 3 and ended up landing on an official’s foot, coming down awkwardly.
At the time, the Hawks classified it as a right ankle sprain, though they got more clarity after getting a closer look with an MRI taken Monday. Young has a bone bruise in his right foot and will be listed as questionable for Tuesday’s Game 4 against the Bucks.
He does not have an ankle sprain, however, in some positive news. But, bone bruises are tricky, and this comes at an extremely difficult time for both Young and the Hawks, who are trailing the Bucks 2-1 in the Eastern Conference finals. Young has had a sensational first playoff run, leading the Hawks to drastically exceed their preseason goal of simply making the playoffs, and was rolling in Game 3 before the injury.
On how Young’s spirits are doing Monday, teammate John Collins said: “He’s OK. Obviously not happy about the loss, not happy about stepping on somebody’s foot. He’s in
an OK spot for what’s going on, and I feel like he just wants to move on and get ready for next game.”
After Sunday’s loss, Young said the plan is to get as much treatment as possible ahead of Tuesday’s Game 4 (another home game) so he’ll be able to play, and he received treatment Monday at practice, per interim head coach Nate McMillan.
At this point, it’s too soon to say if Young will play in Game 4. He was able to play some in the fourth quarter, and was seen walking around fine after the game. But, when he went back in the fourth, he didn’t look fully himself, with his typical burst.
“It was really my blowby speed,” Young said after Game 3. “That’s a big part of my game, my ability to blow by anybody.”
ELSEWHERE
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo is a twotime MVP, one of the best players on the planet.
Even so, he'll gladly cede the closer’s role to Khris Middleton in the Eastern Conference finals.
With Middleton taking command in the final
minutes, the Milwaukee Bucks are now up 2-1 on the Atlanta Hawks heading to Game 4 of the series Tuesday night.
“We were like, ‘Get the hell out of the way, give him the ball, take us home, Khris,' and that’s what he did,” Antetokounmpo said. “I trust this guy to death. If he wants the ball, he gets it. Simple as that.”
Middleton scored 20 of his playoff career hightying 38 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3.
Mavericks: The Jason Kidd era has officially begun (or resumed?) in Dallas.
The Mavericks formally announced the hiring of Kidd as the team’s new head coach. Also announced was the hiring of Nico Harrison as general manager.
Kidd will now coach the team that drafted him 27 years ago. Kidd was traded from the Mavericks in 1996, but later returned in 2008. He then helped lead Dallas to its only
NBA championship in 2011.
Now he hopes to do so again, this time as head coach.
Magic: Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway has reportedly emerged as the Orlando Magic’s lead candidate to fill its head coaching vacancy. He is currently the head coach at the University of Memphis, his alma mater.