Trae Young's dazzling performance lights up Mexico City

In an electrifying display witnessed by nearly 20,000 fans in Mexico City, Trae Young stole the spotlight, scoring an impressive 41 points and delivering a crucial assist to Dejounte Murray, who sunk a game-winning 3-pointer with just 31 seconds remaining, securing a thrilling 120-119 victory for the Atlanta Hawks over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Young shared, “I love the energy of the arena tonight, the electricity. It was fun playing here. I know we’re obviously probably going to expand the league and expand it to a couple more cities. I mean, I’m going to be open to playing here. This is an unbelievable place to play."

The game marked the Hawks' first appearance south of the border, and despite the Magic being the host team, the majority of the sellout crowd at the state-of-the-art Arena Ciudad de Mexico were passionately donning Young's jerseys or Hawks gear, loudly cheering for the visiting team.

Young's stellar first-half performance, amassing 33 points, set the tone for Atlanta. However, the challenges of playing at an altitude of 7,350 feet above sea level became evident, with Young acknowledging, "You can definitely feel the altitude, it affected all of us." He even had to take a breather in the third quarter due to its impact.

The Magic, led by Jalen Suggs with 21 points and Paolo Banchero with 17, initially pulled ahead 111-100. Still, the Hawks mounted a comeback, securing a 120-119 lead with 4:04 left to play after a 14-2 run.

The competitive atmosphere, despite the altitude challenge, showcased the potential of Mexico City as an NBA destination. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, acknowledging Mexico's 30 million basketball fans, hinted at the possibility of expansion, stating, “I can’t set a specific timeline, but a main part of my job, if not the most important part of my job, is to grow this league. So it’s something to think about a lot."

With Mexico City's successful hosting track record and positive feedback from former NBA players residing in the city, the prospect of a future franchise remains uncertain. However, Silver assured, “We'll definitely be back. We will be back next year with at least one game, we'll see whether it's two games.”