Young was visibly shocked and initially didn’t leave the court as the game broke for a timeout. He then expressed anger on the walk to the locker room, with witnesses hearing him drop expletives.
Bulls point guard Kris Dunn, the man at the center of both of Young’s technical fouls, used the word “stunned” to describe his reaction. Bulls coach Jim Boylen and big man Lauri Markkanen didn’t understand what was happening, having not realized Young was assessed an earlier technical foul.
Such was the absurdity in the Hawks’ 123-118 win at the United Center in a contest that was entertaining and carried draft lottery position implications with it.
Young was ejected with 9:20 left in third quarter after hitting a long pullup 3-pointer and then staring in Dunn’s direction while placing his hands on his hips. That drew a second technical foul from official Kevin Cutler, with crew chief Mark Ayotte later explaining it registered as taunting because it was “directed at an opponent specifically” as opposed to celebration, which “is not directed at an opponent.”
"I just hit a shot," Young said. "I play with a lot of flair, I play with a lot of energy, emotion and have fun. For me, I hit a shot and I just looked in the arena."
Young maintained he said nothing to Dunn, only looking his way. Dunn confirmed that too.
"They made the call," Young said. "I just got to live with it. I mean, there’s nothing more I can really say. They made the call. I had to live with it. I looked at someone, and that was about it."
Young and Dunn have a bit of history. The Bulls brought Young in for a workout ahead of the draft last June around the same time someone in the organization leaked to the Sun-Times that the team was upset with Dunn’s work ethic. Young ended up being selected at No. 5, two spots before the Bulls picked, but Dunn isn’t one to forget slights.
On Sunday, he was one to forget the immediate past, largely feigning ignorance about a small skirmish with Young in the first quarter in which they drew double technicals. Following a whistle for a timeout, Young hoisted a shot up. Dunn then brushed shoulders with him, to which Young responded with a swat of his hand at Dunn’s back. Dunn followed by batting Young on the back of the head and neck.
Both received a technical for "physical contact with each other," Ayotte said in a pool report.
"Upset?" Dunn said. "I don’t think I was too upset at all. It’s basketball at the end of the day.
"I just came off a migraine, so I got to figure it out."
There was recent history too. Individually, Young had gotten the best of Dunn by scoring a career-high 49 points in the Hawks’ 168-161 loss to the Bulls in quadruple overtime in Atlanta on Friday night. Dunn downplayed that, but Young didn’t seem so sure when asked if he was surprised that Dunn swatted him on the head.
"No, I wasn’t surprised," Young said. "I don’t know if he’s still mad about last game or whatever. But I’m not surprised."
In the aftermath, both Young and Dunn seemed more bemused than anything. Dunn didn't think Young deserved to be ejected.
"My back was turned," Dunn said. "I turned around and everybody said he got ejected. I was stunned by it myself, as much as you guys were stunned."
Young had 18 points and five assists in 18 minutes and thought he was simply putting on a show for fans.
"That’s fun," Young said. "You try to play with energy, passion and emotion. For me, I was just having fun. That wasn’t the first time I looked at someone after I hit a shot. But he made the call.
"I think people come to see people have fun, make plays and enjoy the excitement. I just try to go out there and do that."
The Hawks had a 16-point lead, their biggest of the night, when Young was ejected. The Bulls quickly cut into the lead, trimming it to five by the end of the third quarter. Chicago pulled within one with 1:14 left, but Dunn and Lauri Markkanen each missed good looks at tying 3-pointers in the final 22 seconds.
The result could potentially turn out to be a blessing for the Bulls (18-46), as it fortified their position as the NBA’s fourth-worst team. That slot holds a 12.5 percent chance at landing the No. 1 draft pick. The Hawks (22-42) are the fifth-worst team and currently owners of a 10.5 percent chance.
Four full games now separate the teams with 18 to play, but that wasn’t on anyone’s mind on the floor Sunday. Young’s ejection was.
"He said he was talking," Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said of the explanation from the official that he received. "It’s bothersome, because it’s the NBA. Guys talk, and I didn’t think there was anything malicious that occurred. I don’t know if there was a warning that was given. I don’t know. It’s tough."