The Atlanta Hawks saw their playoff aspirations take a major hit on Tuesday night after suffering a 120-95 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic. Despite a strong individual performance by star guard Trae Young, his ejection late in the fourth quarter added insult to the loss.
With just under five minutes left in regulation and the Hawks trailing by 22 points, Trae Young’s emotions spilled over. Young then fired a hard chest pass at referee James Williams after a call went against Atlanta. The act quickly earned him a technical foul.
Rather than letting the situation cool down, Young responded in a way that escalated the matter. As Williams rolled the ball down the court to resume play and shoot the resulting free throw, Young kicked the ball away. That action prompted a second technical foul and an automatic ejection.
Trae Young just crashed out 🥴 https://t.co/jgFALKycXp pic.twitter.com/Z4jesQHU2I
— Underdog (@Underdog) April 16, 2025
After the game, referee Williams clarified what prompted the second technical and the ejection. He claimed that the ejection was a matter of both conduct and rule enforcement.
Before his ejection, Young led all Hawks scorers with 28 points. He also added two rebounds and six assists in the loss.
Trae Young Responds To The Ejection
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Despite the ejection, Trae Young remained composed when speaking to reporters after the loss. He made it clear that while his frustration got the better of him in the heat of the moment, he was determined not to let it impact his focus going forward.
“I’m not letting it dwindle. I’m not letting people think about what I’m feeling and things like that. Obviously, I told him I was sticking up for the squad, and I’m not gonna let the refs frustrate me like that in our next game,” Young said.
With the loss, the Hawks are not eliminated but must now play for their postseason lives. On Friday, they’ll host the winner of Wednesday night’s game between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls.
