NBA playoffs: Atlanta’s Trae Young drops 32 pts on Boston, Hawks claw back to cut Celtics lead 2-1

Atlanta’s Trae Young finally showed up in the NBA postseason, dropping 32 points on Boston as the Hawks clawed back to cut the Celtics lead to 2-1 in the first-round series matchup. 

Young, who was anonymously voted as the league’s most overrated player by his peers according to a report on Thursday, shot 12-22 from the field and was just an assist away (9) from earning a double-double in Atlanta’s 130-122 win on Friday. 

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum ended with 29 points in Game 3. He struggled to be prolific all night, going 9-22 (40.9 percent) from the field despite getting 10 boards for his team.

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray was Atlanta’s second-top scorer of the night, with 25 points.

Unlike the first two games in Boston, where the Celtics pushed out to big leads and cruised to a pair of 13-point victories, the Hawks finally put up a fight.

Hawks’ Trae Young was a pest all game for the Celtics defense, ending with 32 points on Friday

Jayson Tatum ended with 29 points for the Celtics but only made 9-of-22 shots in Boston’s loss 

Dejounte Murray was Atlanta’s second-highest scorer of the night, behind Young, with 25 pts

With Derrick White forced to the bench in the early going with two quick fouls, the Hawks took advantage of a chink in the Boston defense to get things rolling. Atlanta knocked down 30-of-46 shots (65.2 percent) in the first half.

Pumped up by a standing-room-only crowd, the Hawks built a 14-point lead – their biggest of the series – late in the second quarter.

But the Celtics responded with eight straight points and went to the locker room down 74-67 at the half.

Bogdan Bogdanovic took a shot to the face on Malcolm Brogdan’s lay-in early in the fourth quarter. Bogdanovic kneeled over in the pain and was subbed out during a timeout.

Young hit a step-back 3-pointer from the corner with 2:21 left after both teams put up 26 points each in the third. 

The Hawks point guard knocked down another huge basket on a floater in the lane with 45 seconds remaining after Jaylen Brown missed a 3-pointer that would’ve tied it for the Celtics. 

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (left) in action against Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (right)

The seventh-seeded Hawks will try to even the series in Game 4 on Sunday night at home

Young’s heroics in Game 3 came after he only made 14-of-40 shots in Beantown. 

Friday night’s win was Atlanta’ first victory over Boston this season. The Hawks dropped all three regular-season meetings.

The seventh-seeded Hawks will try to even the series against the second-seeded Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday night at State Farm Arena. 

The Hawks still face long odds. They are 0-26 in playoff series over the franchise’s 74-season history history when losing the first two games.