Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young made NBA history in his latest meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies. Young recorded his seventh straight game of at least 30 points and 10 assists, tying the record for such a streak set by Oscar Robertson in the 1960s.
Young started the streak on Dec. 13 with 35 points and 17 assists in a close road loss to the Toronto Raptors. 10 days later, Young tied Robertson’s record with 30 points and 13 assists against Memphis. With 16 seconds left in the contest, the two-time All-Star nailed a 26-foot three-pointer to crack 30. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to avoid a 125-119 defeat.
During Young’s historical run, the Hawks have only won three out of seven games. Despite Atlanta’s top-five offensive rating, they currently hold the No. 11 seed in the east. The Hawks own a bottom-five defense that has turned many of their games into score-heavy shootouts. As a result, their small margin of victory has led to a disappointing 12-17 record.
In his postgame press conference after the Memphis loss, Young politely shut down a reporter who asked about his 30-10 streak.
“Yeah, I’m gonna stop you right there,” Young said. “Let’s go to another question, I don’t want to talk about my stats. Let’s talk about something else. Thank you though, I appreciate you.”
Young may be putting up some historic individual numbers, but the talented point guard wants to win basketball games more than anything. The Hawks have made an Eastern Conference Finals with Young at the helm, so anything less than a playoff appearance would be devastating for the team.
When the Hawks visit the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls the day after Christmas, Young will look to get his team back on track. If Young drops at least 30 points and 10 dimes again, he will stand alone with the longest 30-10 streak for points and assists ever.
