The Atlanta Hawks returned to State Farm Arena on Friday night hoping to snap a four-game skid. Instead, they ran into a short-handed but determined Miami Heat squad that handed them a fifth straight loss, 126-111. And while the loss stings-especially with the Eastern Conference standings as tight as ever-there was at least one bright spot: Trae Young looked every bit like the All-Star Atlanta needs him to be.
Two teams, one desperate need for a win
Coming into the matchup, both Atlanta and Miami were trending in the wrong direction. Each team had dropped eight of their last ten, and with the East logjammed from top to bottom, every game carries weight-especially when it’s a divisional battle like this one.
Miami came in shorthanded, missing two of its cornerstone players. Tyler Herro sat out his sixth consecutive game with a right foot injury, and Bam Adebayo was a late scratch due to lower back soreness. But if the Heat were undermanned, they didn’t play like it.
Trae Young heats up-even if the Hawks don’t
The Hawks were once again without a complete team performance, but Trae Young showed up ready to go. Since returning from a right knee injury, Young has been slowly ramping up his minutes. And while the wins haven’t followed, his individual play has been electric.
On Friday, he poured in 30 points, dished out 6 assists, and hit five shots from beyond the arc-all in just 32 minutes, the fourth-lowest total among Atlanta’s starters. From the opening tip, Young looked locked in. He drilled back-to-back threes in the first quarter to get himself going and scored nine quick points to keep Atlanta in the early mix.
After a quiet second quarter, he came alive again in the third. Young dropped 14 in the period, including two more threes and multiple trips to the free-throw line, where he controlled the pace and flow of the Hawks’ offense. Even as the game slipped away in the fourth, Young’s offensive engine kept Atlanta from completely falling out of it.
A familiar foe-and a familiar challenge
If there’s one team that’s consistently been a thorn in Young’s side, it’s the Miami Heat. Erik Spoelstra’s defensive schemes have long given Young trouble, and that history is well documented.
In 23 career regular-season games against Miami, Young has averaged 21.3 points and 9.3 assists, but the efficiency hasn’t been there-just 39.5% shooting from the field and 33.1% from deep. That trend hit its low point in the 2022 playoffs, when the Heat eliminated the Hawks in five games. Young struggled mightily in that series, averaging just 15.4 points and 6.0 assists while shooting under 32% from the field and a rough 18.4% from three.
So while the loss on Friday adds to Atlanta’s mounting concerns, Young’s performance against a team that’s historically had his number is a step in the right direction. He didn’t just put up numbers-he looked confident, decisive, and in rhythm, even against a Heat defense that, despite missing key players, still plays with Spoelstra’s signature discipline.
Where do the Hawks go from here?
The loss drops Atlanta further down the standings, and with five straight defeats, the margin for error is quickly shrinking. But in a season where consistency has been hard to come by, seeing Trae Young find his groove again is no small thing. If he can maintain this level of play-and if the Hawks can find a way to support him on both ends-they’ve still got time to turn things around.
For now, the frustration is real. But so is the hope that their franchise star is starting to hit his stride again.