Trae Young gets a clear sense of officiating in the Hawks’ loss to the Kings

Trae Young didn’t address head coach Quin Snyder’s extended remarks about his performance in the loss to the Sacramento Kings; The Atlanta Hawks’ fourth loss in a row.

He was not asked.

Young was asked about some late calls that didn’t go the Hawks’ way, and the three-time All-Star began to speak his mind before quickly focusing on his desired message after the team’s fourth straight loss amid countless injuries.

“That s*** is getting old with them (the officials),” Young told reporters after the Nov. 1 game. “That’s been the case since I’ve been here in Atlanta. But I don’t even want to talk about the judges anymore. It’s not my thing. I’m older, more mature now, so I don’t have to worry about those people in stripes.

“I just have to worry about my team. I feel like the way the game was called, we still made some calls and still found a way to get into the game. So it wasn’t as empty as some of the calls can be have been. I think we still had a chance to win and still had a chance to be right there. Obviously, I don’t care about moral victories at all, so – like something. But (if there’s) something we can take from this, it’s the guys coming off the bench playing really well and giving us a spark, which is good.”

Young’s “missing” address for the call speaks volumes. The Hawks committed one more foul than the Kings in the fourth quarter. The Kings took seven more free throws.

Officials tagged Young with an offensive foul for hooking Kings star De’Aaron Fox during the former’s drive to the basket. The Hawks had cut a 12-point deficit to start the fourth quarter down six points when Young was called for the foul.

Jalen Johnson was whistled on back-to-back possessions late, sending DeMar DeRozan to the free throw line. For Johnson – and Zaccharie Risacher early in the game – It is a learning experience.

The calls against Johnson negated an apparently clutch three-pointer by Keaton Wallace.

“It was really good,” Young said of the Hawks’ rally. “I think the way we competed, the way Keaton came into the game, Garrison came into the game, really changed the game. And that’s what happens when guys get opportunities and they take advantage of it. We made some runs. Wasn’t able to take the lead or even make it a bigger lead, but the way we fought was definitely good to see.

“It’s a long season. I don’t want to get too high or too low at any point. I’ve been on three, four-game losing streaks and we won two, three straight after that. We just have to find a way to win one game on. I think that’s the thing about this league, it’s so hard to win. But every night you can win at the same time. So I think the hardest thing is to find out of how to win. When you win a game and you can fight for 48 minutes and you’re in a tough game in the fourth quarter and you pull it out, it gives your team more confidence and in different ways.

“We haven’t done that and we’ve got to come back and figure out how to win one game at a time and then try to pile on more.”

Young appreciated his teammates rushing to his aid after he made a late offensive mistake.

He noted that’s why he’s putting his body on the line for the team and the organization, both of which are especially notable amid some early speculation about what the future might hold for the three-time All-Star extension-eligible next offseason.

Young was the subject of trade rumors during the offseason, which he dismissed on their face. The organization hasn’t said much, but the front office built the guard around his skill set.

The Hawks’ extensive injuries have only made matters worse on the court.

Young praised the Hawks’ camaraderie, noting that chemistry is essential to finding success as a team. But he also corrected himself a bit, bumping it from step 1 to No. 2 in favor of health.

The Hawks’ roster shuffle has left many of the healthy Hawks players playing together for the first time, which Young believes has been the difference.