Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks. (Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young has an injured ankle heading into Game 4 Tuesday.
The Atlanta Hawks lost Game 3 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals at home on Sunday night due in large part to the ankle injury suffered by their superstar point guard Trae Young in the fourth quarter.
Young injured his ankle in the final frame after accidentally stepping on an official’s foot. This limited his overall effectiveness down the stretch, as Atlanta has now lost back-to-back playoff games by double figures to the Milwaukee Bucks. With this being an absolute must-win for the Hawks, will Young even be able to play in this decisive Game 4 in Atlanta on Tuesday night?
Injuries have taken a massive toll on the Hawks’ back-court depth throughout this postseason.
Atlanta Hawks: Will Trae Young play in Game 4 vs. Milwaukee Bucks?
The Hawks’ official Twitter account revealed Young has a bone bruise in his right foot. He is listed as questionable for Game 4 vs. the Bucks on Tuesday night. Young had 35 points and four assists in 39 minutes in Game 3’s home loss to Milwaukee. Had he have been healthy, Atlanta may not have lost by 11 points and would hold a 2-1 series lead over a heavily favored Milwaukee team.
Will Young give it a go on Thursday night? Absolutely, as his team is in full-blown desperation mode right now. However, him not being close to 100 percent will hamper the Hawks’ overall effectiveness to tie this series up at two games apiece. If Atlanta wants any hope of extending this series to six games, the Hawks have no choice but to win Game 4 at State Farm Arena on Tuesday.
While Young’s injury update could have been worse, Atlanta will still be up against it in Game 4.