Las Vegas • It’s been a bumpy ride for Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, but he finally got his shot going.
The No. 5 overall pick out of Oklahoma scored 24 points and made 7 of 13 3-pointers to help the Hawks defeat the Chicago Bulls 101-93 on Tuesday in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Young looked like the player who led the nation in scoring and assists as a college freshman.
“I just try to play my game,” he said. “I try to make the right plays, and if I see an opening, I’m going to knock it down or find my teammates. I’m just trying to get more into rhythm each and every game. I’m just trying to get better and progress and get better. That’s my main thing. I think I’m headed in the right direction.”
Young made just 12 of 52 shots in three summer league games in Utah, and before Tuesday, he had shot just 29 percent in two games Las Vegas. After showing signs of figuring things out with a 21-point, 11-assist performance against New York this past Saturday, he suffered a minor right quadriceps injury on Sunday against Portland. He seemed fine on Tuesday, playing a team-high 33 minutes.
It’s still just July and the sample size is small, but Young’s early struggles reflect the concerns about him being too frail, short and undisciplined to succeed in the NBA. Even in his breakout game against Chicago, he missed all six of his shots inside the 3-point line.
Young isn’t the only high profile rookie point guard who has encountered rough times in Las Vegas, though. Second-round pick Jalen Brunson, The Associated Press National Player of the Year for Villanova, is averaging just seven points and shooting 19 percent from the field in three games for the Dallas Mavericks.
Meanwhile, Cleveland’s Collin Sexton has been on point. The eighth overall pick out of Alabama is averaging 16.7 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field in Las Vegas.
Other rookie point guards have been shining in Las Vegas.
• Los Angeles Clippers newcomer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 11th overall pick from Kentucky, is averaging 19.7 points and shooting 45 percent.
• Houston’s De’Anthony Melton, the 46th overall pick from USC, is posting 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest.
• Indiana’s Aaron Holiday, the 23rd selection from UCLA, has averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.7 steals.
Tuesday’s summaries:
TRAIL BLAZERS 95, SPURS 89 • Gary Trent Jr. scored 20 points to help the Trail Blazers (3-0) hold off the Spurs.
Trent, a second-round pick, made 4 of 8 3-pointers.
Wade Baldwin IV scored 16 points Jake Layman scored 15 points for the Trail Blazers. Portland made 11 of 21 threes and outscored the Spurs 24-11 at the free throw line.
Jaron Blossomgame and first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV each scored 12 points and Olivier Hanlan and Trey McKinney-Jones added 11 for the Spurs (1-2).
The Spurs trailed by 13 heading into the fourth quarter but cut their deficit to two in the final minute before the Trail Blazers held on.
HAWKS 101, BULLS 93 • Trae Young scored 24 points to help the Hawks top the Bulls.
Young, the No. 5 overall pick, made 7 of 13 3-pointers and had five assists. Jaylen Adams scored 23 points, Jaylen Morris added 17 and Omari Spellman had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks (1-2).
Wendell Carter Jr., the No. 7 overall pick, had 23 points on 9 for 13 shooting for the Bulls (1-2). Antonio Blakeney scored 23 points and Kaiser Gates added 14 for Chicago.
Atlanta took over in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulls 30-21.
KINGS 94, GRIZZLIES 80 • Justin Jackson had 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, Matt Jones added 15 points and the Kings (1-2) outscored the Grizzlies 27-12 in the third quarter to pull away.
Harry Giles added 11 points and 12 rebounds and Frank Mason had 10 points and 13 assists.
Ivan Rabb and Wayne Selden had 17 points apiece for the Grizzlies (1-2).
LAKERS 109, KNICKS 92 • Josh Hart had 27 points with four 3-pointers and Jeff Ayres added 17 points to help the Lakers (3-0) top the Knicks.
The Lakers led 75-50 in the third, but No. 9 pick Kevin Knox scored 16 of his 29 points during a 30-3 Knicks run that gave New York (1-2) its only lead of the game early in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles responded with 16 straight points.
Knox finished 5 of 7 from 3-point range and grabbed nine rebounds. Allonzo Trier added 21 points and 10 rebounds.
