USA Today via Reuters
Jun 8, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) argues a call with referee Ken Mauer (41) during the first quarter in game two of the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jun 8, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) argues a call with referee Ken Mauer (41) during the first quarter in game two of the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Hawks met the Suns at the Footprint Center as the first of their four consecutive away games. But it ended poorly for them as they took their third straight defeat in the last one week.
The game started with a three-pointer from Trae Young and a couple of misses from the Suns’ star duo. The initial two quarters remained neck-to-neck as Devin Booker’s 21 points kept them marginally ahead. But a non-basketball thing from the fourth quarter turned more heads than the interesting display of battle from both teams.
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When a referee mocked the Atlanta Hawks bench
The Hawks enjoyed a crazy third quarter where they scored 40 points and 15 of them came from Trae Young. But it was the fourth quarter that took everything away from them.
With 3:02 remaining on the game clock, the Suns took a timeout when they were trailing 111-113. A technical foul towards Ice Trae and a timeout by the Hawks followed that break. It was during this time, when the referee Kevin Scott looked at the Atlanta Bench and made a ‘cry baby’ gesture. Take a look –
Referee Kevin Scott making crybaby eyes to someone in the direction of the Hawks' bench. I'm howling.
(h/t @Grant_Shirley4) pic.twitter.com/nsfFscDMQi
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) November 7, 2021
Now, this can be a response to the Hawks bench questioning the foul call. Or this can also be a response to Trae Young’s many altercations with referees in the past. Whatever be the case, it was a little out of the line for an official to do something like this.
Read more: Trae Young Outshines Lebron James With These Surprising Stats
What happened in the last minute?
Under one minute left in the game, the Hawks still had a single point lead over the Suns. That’s when a cutting dunk from Frank Kaminsky gave them a crucial lead. This got the Hawks desperate as they tried and failed at a couple of three-point attempts.
Then, just like the NBA Finals (against Bucks), Chris Paul scored three clutch free throws to take the score beyond the Hawks’ reach. This win got the Suns to the 4th rank on the WC ladder and pushed the Hawks down at 12th in theirs.
Now, Nate McMillan would have to find a way to pull a comeback as nicely as they had done the last time. Can they?
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