Trae Young delivered a masterful performance on Thursday night, dishing out a career-high 22 assists—the most in the NBA this season—and adding 20 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 135-124 comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers, who came into the game with an impressive 17-1 record, built an early 19-point lead but faltered late, suffering their first home loss of the season.
Cleveland’s star guard Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, while Evan Mobley contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds. However, their efforts weren’t enough to stop a resurgent Hawks squad that snapped a three-game losing streak.
Young’s 22 assists surpassed the previous season high of 21 by New Orleans’ Elfrid Payton earlier this week. It also put him one shy of the Hawks’ franchise record of 23 assists set by Mookie Blaylock in 1993.
“He threw himself into the game,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. “He moved the ball, forced guys to run, and gave his teammates opportunities. It was an outstanding performance.”
Young’s passing was particularly critical in the fourth quarter, where he accounted for eight assists. His contributions included feeding De’Andre Hunter—who finished with 26 points—for key baskets and finding Dyson Daniels for another. A pivotal sequence late in the game saw Young recover a loose ball and sink a deep 39-foot 3-pointer to give Atlanta a seven-point cushion, silencing the Cleveland crowd.
“I couldn’t let my team down twice in a row,” Young said of the moment. “I had to make the play, and that’s what happened.”
Despite Cleveland’s dominance early on, Atlanta showed resilience. The Hawks made a season-high 20 three-pointers and erased a double-digit deficit for the third time this season. This marks their largest road comeback win since overcoming a 23-point deficit against the Knicks last year.
Young’s performance also set multiple milestones. He recorded his second career 20-point, 20-assist game and became the first Hawk to log multiple 20-assist games in franchise history.
For Cleveland, Mitchell’s 30-point game tied him with World B. Free for second-most 30-point games in franchise history (58), trailing only LeBron James (324).
The two teams will meet again on Friday in Atlanta for an NBA Cup matchup. The Hawks (2-1) sit atop Group C, while the Cavaliers (1-1) will aim to bounce back in their remaining pool play games.
Thursday’s win not only reaffirmed Young’s status as one of the league’s elite playmakers but also highlighted Atlanta’s ability to rally against one of the NBA’s top teams.
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