“He’s my second favorite player because I like that he lives for these moments” - Shaquille O’Neal praises Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young led the Atlanta Hawks to a victory in the just-concluded play-in tournament against the Cleveland Cavaliers, thereby becoming the eighth seed in the NBA Eastern Conference. Having secured the eighth seed position, the Hawks will be paired against the Miami Heat. Game one of the series of seven will be held at the FTX Arena in Miami.

Trae Young has proven beyond doubt the extraordinary talent he's possesses. The 23-year old finished the 2021-22 NBA regular season with the most points scored in the league (2,155) and the most assists (737). He ended the season with an average of 28.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game, leading the Hawks in points, field goals, 3-points, 2-points, free throws, and assists.

Shaquille O’Neal, during the Hawks vs Hornets game review on TNT, discussed Young and the amazing output displayed today. He talked about liking the way Young and the Hawks play and went on to peg him as his "second favorite player":

"I like the way they play," O'Neal started. "I don't know how far they can go, but I just love the way they play. He's my second favorite player because I like that he lives for these moments."

---

Trae Young led the Atlanta Hawks to a victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles the ball against Jalen McDaniels #6 of the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at State Farm Arena on April 13, 2022 in Atlanta, Georg

The play-in tournament fixture against the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers was hosted at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. The home fans put up a fight, a commendable one, to say the least, but a win wasn't in the books for the Cavs as the Hawks got the better of them.

Right off the bat, the Cavs established dominance, ending the first quarter with a 11-point lead. Having lost the second quarter to the Hawks by a lone point, the third quarter was a different ball game as the Hawks got to draw with the Cavs. The game ended with a 6-point lead in favor of the Hawks.

Trae Young led the team with 38 points, 9 assists and 3 rebounds. Lauri Makkanen and Darius Garland were the only Cavaliers players with 20+ points, with Young scoring the most points on the court. The Hawks will be taking on the Miami Heat, and the series promises to be nothing short of exhilarating.