Trae Young

Acclimated to the crunchtime stage in a way that few teams are, the Atlanta Hawks reasoned that with December 6, 2024’s back-and-forth game reaching its boiling point, only one thing could balance the climate: an appearance from “Ice Trae.” One well-executed possession shy of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, Trae Young smartly retreats, first weighing his options before taking on the hefty responsibility of attacking Anthony Davis in isolation. Receiving the basketball once more after the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense rotates itself into chaos, Young illustrates precisely why he ranks among the league’s elites in late-game scoring, burying a 3-point bucket that ultimately serves as the game-winner. The tw0-point victory perfectly showcased Young’s point guard gifts, as he scored or assisted on every OT point, and became NBA history’s first recorded player to produce a 31-point, 20-assist, five-triple box score, paired alongside four rebounds and two steals. Following in Young’s footsteps, the Hawks offense left behind a bingo board of excellence, tallying a season-high 40 assists, its 16th-straight game with at least 25 assists, and a sixth-consecutive win.