Hawks guard Trae Young to miss fourth straight game

TORONTO — The Hawks will face the Raptors on Saturday night without their top guard in Trae Young. The Hawks ruled out Young on Saturday afternoon with a right quad contusion for the fourth straight game.

Young has not played since the Hawks hosted the Knicks at State Farm Arena on Dec. 27, where the team fell to the No. 2-seeded team in the Eastern Conference in the final seconds of the matchup. The four-time All-Star has played just five games since he returned to the Hawks’ rotation on Dec. 18 against the Hornets.

This is the second lower-body injury that has limited Young this season. He has played just 10 games after a right MCL sprain sidelined him for much of the first six weeks of the season.

In 10 games, Young has averaged 19.3 points and 8.9 assists. But the Hawks have gone 2-8 with Young in the lineup, including five straight losses following his return to the rotation. In one of those wins, Young played seven minutes before exiting with an injury.

In Young’s absence, the Hawks have found a way to make up for the shot creation and playmaking Young has historically brought to the team. Though not always perfect, the Hawks generated enough offense to put up a 13-10 record in the 23 games Young missed.

The Hawks needed an adjustment period to reacclimatize Young to the lineup, especially in the absence of veteran center Kristaps Porzingis. Young has played approximately 24 minutes with Porzingis this season.

Since Young’s absence, the Hawks have gone 2-1, with their lone loss coming to the reigning NBA Champions, the Thunder, and that game was not decided until the final four minutes.