Trae Young | Alexander Jonesi, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Trae Young | Alexander Jonesi, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Trae Young, point guard for the Atlanta Hawks, earned his second NBA Eastern Conference player of the week award of the season and the fifth of his career.
The Hawks won all four of their games during the week of Jan. 17-23, with Young managing 31.3 points, four rebounds, nine assists and one steal per game. He played an average of 36.6 minutes per game throughout the week, the NBA reported.
"Ice cold. Your Eastern Conference Player of the Week," the Hawks said on Twitter.
Young was the only player that week to average at least 30 points and nine assists per game in the Eastern Conference, the NBA reported.
Young made 47.6% of his 3-pointers and 91.1% of his free throws, leading the league in both categories, the NBA reported. Against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 17, he played his 41st career game in which he made at least 30 points and 10 assists.
Young holds the distinction of being the only player this season to be ranked in the top five in both points and assists per game, at 28 and 9.3 respectively. He leads the league this season with 11 30-plus-point and 10-plus-assist games, and is tied for second place with 21-point and 21-assist double-doubles, the NBA reported.
His performance in a 134-122 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 19 is particularly stellar. Young is the first person in the history of the NBA to make over 35 points, 14 assists and 5 rebounds in a single game while maintaining at least 50% shot accuracy for field goals, 60% 3-pointer accuracy and perfect free-throw accuracy, the NBA reported.
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