Atlanta, GA (AP) – Trae Young was flawless from the free-throw line, sinking all 21 of his attempts and putting up 35 points to guide the Atlanta Hawks to their fourth consecutive win, defeating the Charlotte Hornets 123-110 on Wednesday night. Young’s perfect free-throw performance placed him among just six players in NBA history to achieve this feat. Despite struggling from the field, shooting 7 of 20 and missing all of his 3-point shots, Young also recorded 12 assists.
The Hawks, currently placed seventh in the Eastern Conference, closed the gap to five games behind the sixth-seeded Detroit as they aim to secure a spot above the play-in tournament. Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while LaMelo Ball contributed 25 points and nine assists. DaQuan Jeffries had 20 points, and Mark Williams recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Hornets, who are second-to-last in the East.
Key contributors for the Hawks included Caris LeVert with 15 points, Georges Niang with 12, Vit Krejci with 11, and Terance Mann with 10, showcasing a strong performance from Atlanta’s second unit.
A crucial moment in the game came when Onyeka Okongwu’s layup just before halftime gave the Hawks a 52-49 lead, sparking a 13-0 run that featured contributions from Young, Zaccharie Risacher, and Mouhamed Gueye. Young continued his scoring spree with 17 points in the third quarter.
In terms of bench scoring, the Hawks dominated, outscoring the Hornets 57-18.
Upcoming games include the Hornets facing the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night and the Hawks hosting the Los Angeles Clippers on the same night.
This report was generated using technology from Data Skrive and data from Sportradar, courtesy of The Associated Press. For more NBA news, visit https://apnews.com/hub/nba.
