The Atlanta Hawks suffered an embarrassing loss against the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of their first-round series. The Hawks, led by Trae Young’s 25 first-half points, were within striking distance at halftime. However, the Celtics pulled away in the fourth quarter to eliminate the Hawks and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
After the game, NBA fans took to Twitter to ridicule the Hawks over their poor inbounding plays. One fan went as far as to say, “That is just poor coaching.” Many fans were questioning why the Hawks appeared to have never practiced their inbound plays.
The Hawks had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but their inbounding play failed miserably. Young was forced to take a contested three-pointer that missed the mark, and the Celtics secured the rebound to seal the victory.
Some fans were empathetic towards the Hawks, acknowledging the difficulties of being a fan of the franchise. “Being a Hawks fan is hard,” one fan said.
However, most fans focused on Young’s poor shooting in the second half, going 1-for-13 from the field. Some fans even compared Young to Dallas Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic, saying that the comparisons were unfounded. “Trae went 1/13 in the second half. They were saying he was better than Luka,” one fan said.
have the hawks ever practiced an inbound play?
— Robby Kalland (@RKalland) April 28, 2023
Despite the Hawks’ disappointing end to their season, Young had a breakout year, leading the team in scoring and assists. The team will likely look to build around the talented young guard and continue to improve in the coming years. However, the inbounding failures and Young’s struggles in Game 6 will surely be a point of frustration for fans and coaches alike.
Bizarre Inbounding Failures Doom Hawks in Game 6 Loss to Celtics
In a thrilling conclusion to their first-round series, the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics went head-to-head in a back-and-forth affair. Despite a valiant effort from the Hawks, the Celtics ultimately emerged victorious with a 128-120 win, advancing to the conference semifinals.
That is just poor coaching
— Troll Sánchez (@notthattroll) April 28, 2023
The game was not without its bizarre moments, as the Hawks failed to execute on inbounding plays from the corner. After cutting the deficit to six points with just over a minute left, the Hawks had multiple opportunities to score but could not get the ball in play. Trae Young struggled with Marcus Smart’s length, and De’Andre Hunter was similarly bothered by Al Horford.
Being a hawks fan is hard 😔
— Gerald Sports Jr (@sportsgerald2) April 28, 2023
The result was a series of failed attempts to inbound the ball, including Young throwing it off Smart twice (including once straight into Smart’s groin) and Hunter bouncing one off Horford before throwing a pass to nobody for a turnover.
The Hawks’ inability to execute on inbounding plays ultimately cost them any chance at a miraculous comeback. It was a disappointing end to a hard-fought series for the Hawks, who pushed the Celtics to a Game 6 despite being considered underdogs.
