Trae Young was not given a foul call on the final play of the game as the Mavericks beat the Hawks, 118-117.
Thanks to a historic draft day trade that drastically altered the futures of their respective franchises, Luka Doncic and Trae Young will forever be linked with one another. In Wednesday night's matchup between Dallas and Atlanta, it was Doncic and the Mavericks who came out on top, 118-117, as Young took issue with the officiating on the game's final play.
As the Hawks inbounded the ball with under five seconds to play, Young was knocked over setting a screen on Mavericks forward Willie Cauley-Stein. No foul was called, and Danilo Gallinari's game-winning shot attempt at the buzzer misfired, sealing the win for Dallas.
After the play, an irate Young pled his case with an official, and appeared to be bleeding from his nose.
Young finished the game with 25 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds on 8-for-22 shooting. Doncic has 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
After the game, Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce voiced his frustration with the final play, saying there should have been a foul called.
"It's really unfortunate that the game ended that way. Trae sets a great screen. It should have been a foul," Pierce said, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
We should've had the basketball after the free throw on the side. Just disappointed with the way that game ended."
Pierce said the officials argued that it should have been Young who was called for a foul, not Cauley-Stein, and that the referees "spared Trae."
"It was a perfect screen," Pierce said. "Willie Cauley-Stein ran Trae over. That's a foul. It blows up our play. It's unfortunate. Trae was fouled."