Head coach Lloyd Pierce set a high bar for Trae Young at practice Thursday.
"You're going to see a 20-assist game from Trae, I guarantee you," Pierce said.
Trae Young did not reach that lofty threshold Friday night in the Hawks' 168-161 loss to the Chicago Bulls, but he may have done something even more rare. In playing 56 minutes in a game that went to four overtimes, Young tallied an incredible 49 points, 16 assists and 8 rebounds.
The 49 points were the most points scored by a rookie in an NBA game this season, breaking the mark of 36 that Young set twice in the past two games and shared with Jaren Jackson, Jr.