The Hawks’ Trae Young posted a career-best 22 assists and stunned the Cavaliers

CLEVELAND – The NBA’s leader in assists handed Cleveland a rare loss.

Trae Young had a career-best 22 assists – the most in the NBA this season – and scored 20 points as the Atlanta Hawks handed Cleveland its second loss of the season, 135-124, against the Cavaliers on Thursday night.

The Cavs, who built an early 19-point lead, fell to 17-2 and lost for the first time in 11 home games.

One of the game’s deepest shooters, Young also hit a 39-foot 3-pointer in the final two minutes as the Hawks ended a three-game losing streak and picked up their second major road win since claiming the championship in Boston in November Celtics had defeated. 12.

Young’s assist total was one better than the 21 recorded by New Orleans guard Elfrid Payton against Indiana earlier this week. It was also just one point shy of the Hawks’ record set by Mookie Blaylock, who had 23 assists on March 6, 1993 against Utah.

“He threw himself into the game,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said of Young, who came into the game averaging 11.9 assists. “The biggest thing is he just moved the ball and forced the guys to run. He gave the guys chances in the open field and he trusted his teammates.”

Young collected eight assists in the fourth quarter as the Hawks outscored the Cavs down the stretch.

He served teammate De’Andre Hunter for two baskets, Dyson Daniels for another and made two free throws to put the Hawks ahead 126-118. Moments later, Young lost his grip and Ty Jerome’s 3-pointer brought the Cavs within 126-122.

Young almost gave it away again, but after catching the loose ball, he drilled his 3-pointer right into the halfcourt logo, giving Atlanta a seven-point lead.

“I couldn’t let my team down twice in a row, so I had to make the play,” Young said. “I think when I got the ball back I had 10 seconds left, so I had some time to make a play and that’s exactly what happened.”

The bucket silenced Cleveland’s rocking crowd.

And if fans needed a reminder, Young reminded them to be quiet by pressing his index finger to his mouth.

The Hawks have gotten used to Young leading the way. The three-time All-Star has a knack for creating big moments, and while his ability to shoot threes is often the focus, his passing ability is often overlooked.

“For the smallest guy on the field, he sees it really well,” said Hunter, who finished with 26 points. “He makes timely passes that guys are usually good at hitting, and we made a lot of shots tonight.”

Snyder said Young’s leadership late in the game was crucial.

“I really liked the way he and I responded to being down,” Snyder said. “Just maintaining his poise was always a focus for Trae.”

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and Evan Mobley added 22 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which was seeking its first start at 18-1 or better.

According to ESPN Research, Mitchell played his 58th game with at least 30 points for the Cavaliers, ranking second in franchise history behind LeBron James (324) in World B. Free, according to ESPN Research.

Atlanta, which won its third game this season by a double-digit deficit, made a season-high 20 3-pointers. It was the Hawks’ biggest away comeback win since November 2, 2022 against the Knicks (23 behind).

According to ESPN Research, Young set new standards for the franchise with his second 20-20 game and also became the first player in team history to record more than 20 assists in a game multiple times.

After the game, Young walked into the media room holding a basketball like he was guarding it on a car ride.

As he finalized his availability, Young was asked if he knew he had just set a career high in assists.

“I haven’t done that until now. Thank you,” he said.

The teams will meet again on Friday in an NBA Cup game in Atlanta. The Hawks (2-1) are tied for first place in Group C, while the Cavs (1-1) have two games left in group play.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.