NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

June 27, 2021

Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks

Game 3: Postgame

Milwaukee Bucks 113, Atlanta Hawks 102

Q. How's your ankle feeling, and also how did it feel when you had to go out there and play on it?

TRAE YOUNG: It's sore right now. It's hurting. It's frustrating. Yeah, it's hurting a little bit, and it's sore. I got some treatment on it. I'm going to go get some more in the morning. That's all I can do right now is get treatment.

When I came back in, it was kind of sore. It made me mad I couldn't really go as fast as I wanted to, and when I did, it hurt. So I've just got to get treatment and hopefully get it better for the next game.

Q. Did you just kind of tweak it when you rolled it on the ref's foot?

TRAE YOUNG: Yeah, it just kind of came down on that dude's ankle.

Q. In what ways did you feel like you were limited in the fourth quarter after coming back from your sprain?

TRAE YOUNG: It was really my blow-by speed. That's a big part of my game, my ability to blow by anybody. When you're on the left side and you're trying to blow by, you've got to use your right foot. So my left hand pass to Bogey -- I was going down the left side, it was in a lot of pain going back. Like I said, it's more just the push-off and the blow-by.

Q. I understand that obviously you were able to return, but was there any consideration in your mind of not playing in the fourth quarter?

TRAE YOUNG: A little bit. A little bit, for sure. I wanted to go out and at least try. I got out there and hit my first three, and it really feels like I should be out there and keep fighting at least. That's what I tried to do is keep fighting.

Q. Did you think down the stretch of the fourth quarter after your injury, your teammates were maybe a little hesitant or the offense kind of ground down, that maybe guys were looking toward you trying to figure out what was going on with your ankle?

TRAE YOUNG: I don't know what my teammates were thinking. I don't want to put words in their mouth or anything like that. Obviously, with my ankle being the way it was, we definitely needed them to be more aggressive and things like that. I think guys were shooting the right shots and making the right plays.

Q. Do you think you'll play in Game 4?

TRAE YOUNG: I'm going to get as much treatment as I can. That's the plan.

Q. Was there any extra added frustration for you given how well you were playing?

TRAE YOUNG: For sure. For sure, definitely, especially because we had the lead and we were doing good. We had a lot of momentum on our side. Just freaky bad accident, and it just happens like that.

Q. What were the last couple days like for you as you were getting ready for this game?

TRAE YOUNG: I was just focused. Like I've been saying, I never get too high or too low. I want to just enjoy this moment, enjoy this playoff experience. We're a team with a lot of guys in their first experience here, and to just really enjoy the moment. Not put too much pressure on ourselves and just go out there and have fun and enjoy the game and learn from the game. I think we did a good job of that.

Q. You mentioned that you're already getting treatment. Will there be any testing done on that ankle to see the cause of the soreness?

TRAE YOUNG: For sure. I'm getting an MRI in the morning too.

Q. How has it been for you being so young, still learning a lot, but knowing you're in a position of leadership and trying to learn a lot of this stuff on the fly?

TRAE YOUNG: It's definitely beneficial for me. I don't want to have two bad games in a row. I know it's going to happen sometimes. It's the NBA. You play a lot of games, and you're going to have bad nights and off shooting nights. I had a terrible Game 2, and I just didn't want to let my teammates down the way I did in Game 2. I just wanted to come back and play for them and try to bounce back in a better way.

Q. I know it all happened really fast, but I'm just curious, when you turned and you stepped on the official's foot, did you not see him, or did you think you had more room there? I'm just curious what happened.

TRAE YOUNG: I didn't see him. I don't know the rule. I don't know if he's supposed to give me at least step out of bounds. I don't know what it is. But, no, I didn't see him, obviously.

Q. And then you sort of just touched on this too, but how determined were you after the last game to sort of really lead your team this game? Because, obviously, you came out and I think you hit your first three shots, and you were all over the place.

TRAE YOUNG: Yeah, very determined, but it wasn't enough. I'm not going to sit here and talk about my game and how well I played or whatever early in the game, because it wasn't enough. It was definitely a thought of mine to come out and play better, for sure, than Game 2. Definitely motivated. I felt like I let my teammates down.

So that was the motivation for me, to go out and at least give our team a chance and be better than I was last game.

Q. Any injury is frustrating, but is it doubly so more when it's such a freakish kind of thing?

TRAE YOUNG: Yeah, for sure. For sure. It sucks. But knock on wood, all my injuries have been because I've stepped on somebody's foot. It's been a tough thing that I've had to deal with, but I've just got to be more mindful of where people's feet are. I guess I have to have eyes behind my head now to watch the out-of-bounds lines with these refs. Yeah, it has to be better. It's just a crazy accident.

Q. Did you and Sean Wright have a chance to talk? Did he say anything afterward?

TRAE YOUNG: No, we didn't talk.

Q. Obviously, Khris Middleton really showed up finally in this series after having two mediocre games. What do you all need to do better in Game 4 to kind of corral him and kind of make sure you keep him at bay?

TRAE YOUNG: Yeah, we've got to do a better job of just being a little more physical with him and making it tough. He's a good player, a guy that can really score and get going. He just had one of those nights tonight where he got going. We've definitely got to key in on him a little bit better and just be better for Game 4.

Q. Onyeka has given you guys a lot of really good minutes, especially tonight. What has it been like to watch him blossom?

TRAE YOUNG: It's been really good. I was telling him the other day he's definitely fortunate and blessed he gets to play in the playoffs his rookie year and gets to play in this type of experience and these type of moments. He's been playing really well. Being aggressive when he gets the opportunity and playing really well on the defensive end. I think he had an and-one dunk that wasn't called, but it was a good play by him.

He's just been playing hard, and it's been good to see from him.