Facing a double-digit deficit under the weight of a raucous road environment, and with the starting center Clint Capela sidelined by a knee injury, the Atlanta Hawks entered halftime of Friday's play-in game against grim odds.
By then, Hawks head coach Nate McMillan preached "believe" to his players, but McMillan believed most that his team's past postseason success -- in reaching last season's Eastern Conference finals -- would help carry them through against a tough Cleveland Cavaliers team.
"This team is built for moments like this," McMillan said.
But, more than anything, McMillan knew that Hawks' All-Star point guard Trae Young was especially built for such moments, and it was Young who delivered most, scoring a game-high 38 points, including a scintillating 32 in the second half, to help seal a 107-101 win.