Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young’s 5 best games of the 2019-20 NBA season

3. Hawks vs Nuggets; November 12, 2019

Oh, how long ago this was—long before “Skinny-Jokic.” In only the season’s 11th game, the Hawks beat the Nuggets 125-121, on their home floor. Before the Hawks’ season went belly up, Trae Young went into the mile-high city and put on a show. The Nuggets were 7-2 entering the game, but there was already talk of Nikola Jokic’s fitness and interest level.

Trae Young joyously fanned the flames of that fire with a 42-point, 11 assist, four rebound, one block performance. He was too much for the Nuggets to handle in the pick-and-roll, catching fire in the second quarter and never looking back. Young scored 14 points in the second quarter, shooting 5-of-7 from the field, 4-of-6 from three, dishing three assists and grabbing one rebound to finish the quarter +18.

The onslaught continued in the third quarter and was capped off with a 15-point fourth quarter to put the game away. Young was 3-of-5 from the field, 2-of-3 from three, and 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the fourth. It’s notable that Trae Young took only three free throw attempts through the first three quarters, but took eight in the final frame.

It’s clear that he relies on the free throw line to score efficiently in the clutch or when his shot isn’t falling. Young finished the game 13-of-21 from the field, 8-of-13 from three and 8-of-11 from the free throw line—an efficient masterpiece. This game also included one of Trae Young’s patented nutmegs; this time, Will Barton was the victim.