To say it was a tough night for the Hawks would be an understatement. The Atlanta squad, which had never lost a Play-In game before, got completely outplayed by the Orlando Magic in a 120-95 beatdown Tuesday night. What made this even more historic was that it was Orlando’s first-ever appearance in the Play-In tournament, and they wasted no time leaving a mark. With that win, the Magic secured the No. 7 seed for the playoffs, while the Hawks now have one last shot to stay alive when they face the winner of the 9 vs. 10 matchups this Friday.

Moving on, it wasn’t just the win that stood out; it was how Orlando got it done. Cole Anthony lit it up with 26 points, knocking down 10 of his 17 shots, including 4 threes. Paolo Banchero came through with a near triple-double—17 points, 9 boards, and 7 dimes—while Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in with 19 and 7. Off the bench, Anthony Black was clinical with 16 points on nearly perfect shooting.

As for the Hawks, Trae Young had a big scoring night with 28 points and 6 assists, but that wasn’t enough. Georges Niang dropped 15, and Onyeka Okongwu had a solid 11 and 9, but the offense just never clicked.

Despite Trae’s performance, Heat veteran Udonis Haslem remained unimpressed. On The WY Network podcast, he said, “Orlando’s offense has been consistently inconsistent all year, but one thing they’ve been able to do is they’ve been able to guard. They got wing defenders, they got length.” And that defense, according to him, made all the difference.

In fact, the key move was how the Magic targeted Trae. “They started with some length on Trey, and they switched pick and rolls and eliminated every trigger,” Haslem noted. “We got the number one assist guy in the league right here… If he’s not scoring, he’s facilitating for the other guys, so now you flatten them out.” Basically, Orlando’s game plan was simple—cut off Trae, and everything else falls apart.

Finally, Haslem doubled down on what flipped the game. “You made Trey have to go one-on-one; you take those other guys out. But where the game turned is Orlando made shots.” However, for Tare, the game wasn’t great for another reason.

Trae Young got ejected from the Hawks-Magic game

It wasn’t just another night for the Hawks—and definitely not for Trae Young. In the high-stakes Play-In matchup against the Orlando Magic, emotions boiled over. After helping Atlanta cut a massive 22-point deficit down to just three by the third quarter, things looked hopeful. But the tide turned again in the fourth, and frustration clearly got the best of Young. What ensued was a fiery confrontation with the referees.

In fact, the 26-year-old guard picked up not one, but two quick technicals. The first came after he launched a chest pass straight at referee James Williams. Moments later, he booted the ball away from another official, Pat Fraher. And just like that, per NBA rules, two techs meant he was tossed. No questions asked, no second chances.

Moreover, the ejection didn’t end quietly. According to Yahoo! Sports, Young amped up the drama by playing keep-away with Fraher, throwing in a fake crossover dribble for good measure. Eventually, he gave in, dropped the ball, and walked off toward the tunnel as the Hawks trailed big. The final score? 120–95. Not exactly the comeback Atlanta hoped for.

Still, Trae didn’t back down afterward. “Sometimes when I take my frustration out on the refs, it’s not just for me,” he told ESPN. “It’s for my teammates… If you see a foul, you should call a foul.” So now, the question lingers—was he fighting for fairness, or did he cost the Hawks their shot? What’s your take?

While the Hawks’ loss was a significant blow, it is not the end of their playoff aspirations. With one final chance to secure a playoff berth, Atlanta must regroup and focus on executing their game plan effectively. The upcoming matchup against the Heat will be a defining moment for the team.