Eastern Conference Recaps, March 25: Atlanta Hawks Survived Trae Young's Ejection In Win Against Indiana Pacers

The Atlanta Hawks played most of the second half without their best player but it didn't matter.

They still defeated the Indiana Pacers 143-130 despite guard Trae Young being ejected in the third quarter for throwing the ball at referee Scott Wall. John Collins led eight players in double-figures with 21 points.

“Our bench was unbelievable,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.

Young was called for technical immediately after throwing the ball and then ejected. He finished with 14 points. The incident just days after Young posted on Instagram that officials should be held more accountable for their mistakes.

“It's just a play he can't make,” Snyder said. “I told him that. He knows it.”

Jordan Nwora led the Pacers with a season-high 33 points off the bench. It was the most he scored since May 16, 2021.

OTHERS:

The Denver Nuggets made sure to start their three-game homestand with a win.

Led by Nikola Jokic’s 31 points and 11 assists, the Western Conference-best Nuggets grabbed a 129-106 victory against the Eastern Conference-best Milwaukee Bucks. The Nuggets outscored the Bucks 68-40 in the second half to secure the victory.

Jamal Murray had 26 points and Michael Porter had 19. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points for the Bucks but only had seven in the second half. Grayson Allen, Brook Lopez, and Khris Middleton had 13.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.