Hawks-Celtics: Trae Young, an imperfect player built perfectly for big stage, stuns Boston with game-winner

Young scored Atlanta's final 14 points to force Game 6

The full Trae Young experience was on display in the Hawks' shocking 119-117 victory over the Celtics during Game 5 in Boston on Tuesday night. He was picked on defensively, at times unbothered to even move as a helper. He whined about non-calls instead of getting back, leaving his team at a disadvantage. His poor shot selection led to a pretty inefficient night -- 38 points on 33 shots. 

And yet, there was, and is, the other side of Young. The passing savant who tallied 13 assists. The clutch performer who lives for, and often owns, the big stage, throwing previous inefficiencies to the wind as he scores his team's final 14 points, as he did on Tuesday, including an ice-cold game-winner on a play that Quin Snyder often used to get Donovan Mitchell a long playmaking runway in his Utah days. 

"Be instinctive. Make a play. We all believe in you," Synder reportedly told Young in the timeout huddle before the eventual game-winning shot, via Hawks reporter Lauren Jbara. 

Young was certainly instinctive. Watch the play again, and you'll see Marcus Smart is coming up to double Young with the intention of forcing him to pass. Young had no intention of letting it get that far, firing before Smart could meet him. 

Young certainly made a play, not just on the game-winner but all down the stretch as he went 3 of 4 from 3 over the final three minutes and change, taking advantage of the Celtics not blitzing him. Many are raising a brow at Joe Mazzulla's decision to let Young play relatively freely down the stretch, but in fairness, Young was just 2 of 9 from deep until that final stretch. 

That said, this is the Trae Young Experience. With the game on the line, you have to guard him for what he's capable of doing, not necessarily what he's been doing up to that point. Young is different in different moments. The bigger the better. 

Snyder saying "we all believe in you" is worth considering. Does Snyder really believe in Young? We might find out this offseason, when Young could become a trade candidate, as has been reported. How the rest of this series goes could go a long way in determining how long Trae calls Atlanta home. 

Right now, at this particular moment in his young career, Trae is what he is, and again, we saw all of it in Game 5. He can cripple his team. He can carry his team. On Tuesday, when it counted most, it was the latter. 

Say what you want about Trae Young -- and I've said plenty -- but the guy is an ice-cold performer. Over the last three games of this series he's gone for 105 points and 37 dimes with better than a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's scored at least 15 points in each of the last three fourth quarters. He's led Atlanta, a play-in team, to two wins this series, the second of which came without his best teammate. And it's taking place against a Celtics team that's even better than the one that swept a Nets squad with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last season. 

Plus, he may not be done. Young and the Hawks get Dejounte Murray back for Game 6 on Thursday in what will be a charged-up State Farm Arena. I'll say this: If you're the Celtics, don't let this thing go the distance. Even at home, you don't want any part of Trae Young in a Game 7. The man is not a perfect player. But he is perfect for the biggest games and moments, just as Boston found out Tuesday night. 

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:53 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Trae from way downtown to put the Hawks up 2 with 1.8 seconds to play!!!

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:51 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Two clutch free throws from White puts Boston up one. Hawks ball. 6.5 seconds to play. Here we go

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:45 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Marcus Smart with a terrible reach foul at half court to put Trae on the line in the bonus. He hits both. Hawks up one with 9.5 seconds left

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:44 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

unbelievable Hawks

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:43 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Trae throws up a wedgie trying to flip a left handed scoop shot up

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:43 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Wow Hawks up one with 45 seconds!

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:39 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Wow. Hawks get the miss they need and can't finish with the rebound. Williams with the put back and the foul

[Apr 25, 2023 at 9:39 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Young again!!! We're tied