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Tim BontempsESPN
NEW YORK — Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young briefly left Wednesday’s 112-99 win over the Knicks after being scratched in his left eye but said the injury shouldn’t cause him to miss any time.
“I think I’ll be able to play through it,” Young said after finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists in Atlanta’s victory. “It’s more just letting the swelling go down. But I’ll be able to play through it. Our next game is Saturday, so thankfully we get a couple days for it to kind of get better. I’ll probably have to wear goggles or glasses for some games, but it’ll be all right.”
After Young made a layup to give the Hawks a 66-65 lead early in the third quarter, capping a 38-14 run to erase a 23-point lead the Knicks built midway through the second, he jumped to contest a Julius Randle drive and appeared to be hit in the face by Randle’s hand.
Young stayed down on the court for several minutes and then went to the locker room with a towel held over his face.
He returned to the bench by the early minutes of the fourth quarter, leaping off the bench in celebration when backup guard Aaron Holiday blocked an Obi Toppin fastbreak layup attempt in front of Atlanta’s bench.
A short time later, Young checked back into the game with 7 minutes, 4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter wearing protective eyewear, and stayed in for the rest of the game, though he didn’t take a shot after returning.
“I can’t really see out of one eye really too well, but I can see a little bit,” said Young, who wore sunglasses to his postgame news conference. “I’m feeling all right. I’m feeling good.”
Young admitted the eye kept him from wanting to shoot the ball but said he wanted to make sure he was out there to help his teammates, even in a compromised state.
“I love to play,” Young said. “I’m just, I know I’m in a blessed opportunity and being able to live out my dream and play basketball. Anytime I’m able to do that, I’m going to go out and try my best and play. Unless I literally can’t play, I’m not gonna let my teammates down and sit out because I know I can be a presence out on the floor, even if I’m just standing and getting everybody involved, I know with my presence out there I can create more space for my teammates.”
Young, who said the Hawks gave him eye drops to make sure his eye wouldn’t get infected, got plenty of help from his new co-star in Atlanta’s backcourt, Dejounte Murray, who scored 36 points, had nine assists and grabbed six steals in 38 minutes, helping Atlanta erase a 23-point, second-quarter deficit with a run that, at one point, was 79-39 in Atlanta’s favor and saw the Hawks lead by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter.
New York has now lost three straight to playoff-caliber opponents — Milwaukee, Cleveland and Atlanta — after a 3-1 start to the season.