Hawks Star Trae Young Ejected Late in Play-In Defeat to Orlando

Atlanta star Trae Young flashed some of his signature flair with a crisp chest pass and slick ballhandling — normally the kind of plays that get a crowd going. But doing it toward the referees? Not so much.

His frustration boiled over late in the Hawks’ Play-In Tournament matchup against Orlando, leading to a pair of technical fouls and an ejection with 4:47 remaining. The Hawks were trailing by 22 at the time and eventually fell 120-95.

The first technical came after Young fired a pass at referee James Williams. The second followed shortly after, when Young kicked the ball away and delayed handing it over to official Pat Fraher.

“Trae Young received his first unsportsmanlike technical foul for throwing the ball at a game official,” Williams explained postgame to a pool reporter. “The second was for kicking the ball away and making a mockery of the game while we were attempting to shoot the free throw for the first technical. By rule, two unsportsmanlike technical fouls results in an ejection.”

After the game, Young said his actions weren’t just about personal frustration — they were meant to stand up for his teammates.

“Sometimes when I take my frustration out on the refs, it’s not just for me,” Young said. “It’s for my teammates. I see Dyson Daniels out there — he might not be a household name yet, but he deserves the same respect as anyone else. If you see a foul, call it. That’s all it was for me.”

Orlando was called for 25 personal fouls compared to Atlanta’s 18, with the Hawks shooting 34 free throws to the Magic’s 27. But that didn’t stop Trae Young from voicing his frustration with how the game was officiated — and the physicality of the matchup.

“They’re a physical team. I’ve already had two teammates get hurt in one game against them this year,” Young said. “I’m not going to say they’re dirty players — they’ve got a lot of talent. But some of the plays and moments tonight didn’t even feel like basketball. That’s where the frustration came from.”

The Hawks now turn their attention to a must-win game on Friday, when they’ll host either the Bulls or Heat with the final Eastern Conference playoff spot on the line. The winner of that game will face top-seeded Cleveland in the first round. Chicago and Miami square off in an elimination game on Wednesday.

“I’m not going to let the refs get to me like that again,” Young said. “It’s win or go home next game, and I’ll be locked in.”

With their win, the Magic clinched the No. 7 seed and a first-round date with defending champion Boston.

“He already addressed how important it is for him to stay composed,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said of Young. “He owned that moment quickly. But honestly, the game was already out of reach by then.”

Young finished with a game-high 28 points.