After missing two games with a right ankle sprain, Trae Young will be available to play when the Hawks (7-27) face the Celtics (23-8) on Friday in Boston.
Young, who sprained his ankle in the first half of the Hawks' loss to the Bucks on Dec. 27, was a full participant in Thursday's practice and was not on the Hawks' latest injury report (Kevin Huerter was listed as probable with mid-back pain, and Jabari Parker was listed as probable with a right shoulder impingement).
Getting Young back is crucial for the Hawks, as he spearheads and organizes their offense, leading the team in scoring (28.5 points per game) and assists (8.3 assists per game). Young is shooting 44.4% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range, adding 4.3 rebounds per game.
In Young’s absence, the Hawks lost to the Bulls on the second night of a back-to-back but bounced back with a win in Orlando on Dec. 30, with two-way player Brandon Goodwin stepping up as a scorer and playmaker (Goodwin led the team with 21 points and six assists in the win). The victory broke a 10-game losing streak.
Earlier in the day, it was revealed Young is leading Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting, after the first round of fan voting.
