Young’s 36 carries Hawks past Grizzlies
FILE — Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks to pass against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 23, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP
Trae Young scored 36 points to lead the visiting Atlanta Hawks to a 122-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Young was 10 of 24 from the floor, even though he was just 1 of 7 on 3-pointers, and he also made 15 of 17 from the free-throw line. The guard had nine assists and only two turnovers.
Young won the head-to-head battle with Memphis point guard Ja Morant, who had 28 points and seven assists. Morant, who had 44 points on opening night, was called for a technical foul with 1:10 remaining.
After Morant’s technical, Young made the free throw and followed with a basket to give Atlanta a 118-110 lead with 56.7 seconds left that virtually sealed the outcome.
The Hawks also had 21 points off the bench from Kevin Huerter, who had four timely 3-pointers. De’Andre Hunter added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta, while John Collins had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Memphis got 20 points from Kyle Anderson, who also had 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. Dillon Brooks had 19 points before he fouled out and Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Atlanta helped its cause by scoring 26 points off turnovers, 14 more than Memphis.
Atlanta used a 19-6 run to end the first quarter and take a 27-22 lead. Morant had 15 in the first half and helped Memphis draw to within 58-56 at halftime.
The Hawks had a 12-4 spurt in the third quarter, but the Grizzlies finished with a 13-4 run and led 88-87 entering the final quarter.
The Grizzlies dominated both games against the Hawks last year, winning by an average margin of 28 points. That included a franchise-record 39-point win in Atlanta. Memphis split their two games vs. Atlanta to conclude the preseason.
Both teams play again on Monday. Memphis plays at Brooklyn, while Atlanta hosts Detroit in its home opener.
