Trae Young, who is quietly having his most efficient season (career-highs in field goal, three-point and free-throw percentage), went scorched earth Tuesday night, continuing his career-long dominance of the Knicks with a breathtaking performance at Madison Square Garden, pacing the Hawks with 45 points on crisp 13-of-25 shooting (7-of-15 from downtown). The 23-year-old has been on a tear of late, topping 40 points in three of his last five games while helping Atlanta (36-36) climb back into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Appearing on Inside the NBA alongside TNT colleagues Shaquille O’Neal, Candace Parker and Adam Lefkoe, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade channeled his inner Babe Ruth by calling his shot, correctly predicting Young would score exactly 45 points against the Knicks.
Wade’s nickname throughout his career was “Flash,” but given his recently-discovered psychic abilities, perhaps it’s time we rebrand the 13-time All-Star under a new moniker (“The Prophet” has a nice ring to it). Wearing a zig-zag-patterned sweater lifted from Charlie Brown’s closet, the former Finals MVP took a satisfied sip from his TNT mug after his prediction came true, reveling in his newfound telepathy.
“What are the lottery numbers for tonight?” joked Lefkoe, alluding to Wade’s clairvoyant powers.
Wanting to unseat Wade as TNT’s resident soothsayer, O’Neal looked into his crystal ball, forecasting 27 points for Nikola Jokic in the second game of Tuesday night’s doubleheader. That didn’t quite come to fruition—the Nuggets big man finished with an even 30—but credit to Shaq for being relatively close.
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