Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks holds his ankle after an injury during the second half in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks at State Farm Arena on June 27, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Todd Kirkland/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Todd Kirkland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is headed for an MRI on his sprained right ankle.
The Hawks lost Game 3 to the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 113-102 in their Eastern Conference finals series on Sunday night, but they hope they have not lost Young for Game 4 on Tuesday, also in Atlanta. The Bucks lead the series 2-1.
Young said he would undergo an MRI on Monday.
He suffered the injury when he stepped on an official’s foot late in the third quarter.
Young had made a pass near the 3-point line and took a step back when he inadvertently got too close to the official. Young sat on the court for a few moments before hobbling to the locker room with 29.3 seconds left in the third quarter having scored 32 points.
He returned to the court with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter but wasn’t able to regain his effectiveness, hitting only one 3-pointer the rest of the way.
“It’s hurting, it’s frustrating …” Young told reporters after the game. “I got some treatment on it. I’m gonna go get some more in the morning. That’s all I can do right now, is get treatment.
“When I came back in, it was just kinda sore. It made me mad; I couldn’t really go as fast as I wanted to. And when I did, it hurt.”
Young referenced his “blow-by speed” was missing.
“That’s a big part of my game is my ability to blow by anybody. When you’re on the left side and you’re trying to blow by, you’ve got to use your right foot.”
Pending the MRI results, Young’s status remains uncertain.
“I’m going to get as much treatment as I can,” Young said.