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Atlanta Hawks Make Major Decision on Trae Young vs Sixers

The Hawks ruled out Trae Young against the Sixers.
Justin Grasso|
Mar 6, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Mar 6, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ersAtlanta Hawks

Every game for the Philadelphia 76ers is important at this stage of the season. Heading into their Monday night matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers weren’t sure if they would be facing the star guard Trae Young.

Leading up to the matchup, the Hawks listed Young as questionable due to a left quad contusion. Atlanta officially ruled out Young for the evening, taking some more star power out of the matchup.

For Young, it’s his first absence since the Hawks’ January 27 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Trae Youn
Mar 6, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots against the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Sixers claim to be on a quest for the final Play-In seed in the Eastern Conference. After a win against the Utah Jazz on Sunday night, the Sixers jumped the Brooklyn Nets in the standings. However, they still trail the Chicago Bulls for a Play-In invite.

The Hawks certainly miss a key player with Young out of the mix. Not only is he the top scorer for Atlanta, but he’s currently leading the NBA in assists per game. The veteran is posting averages of 24 points and 12 assists in 60 games. In just four games without Young this year, the Hawks have a 2-2 record.

For those in favor of the Sixers taking the tanking route, the absence of Young could be a bad sign on Monday. Currently, the Sixers are not the owners of their first-round pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. If the season ended on Monday, and the lottery played out exactly as the standings show, the Oklahoma City Thunder would land Philadelphia’s top ten selection.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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