Hawks Fined $100K for Holding Trae Young Out of NBA Cup Game vs. Celtics

The Atlanta Hawks' decision to hold Trae Young out of an NBA Cup game on Nov. 12 against the Boston Celtics has cost the team $100,000.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced it had fined the Hawks organization after an investigation determined Young "could have played in" under the league's standard medical policy.

Young was ruled out from the game with what the team said was right Achilles tendinitis. He was one of six Hawks players who didn't play in the NBA Cup opener against the Celtics.

The Celtics went into the game banged up as well. Jayson Tatum and Al Horford were listed as questionable, but they both wound up playing.

Tatum, who rolled his ankle in a Nov. 10 game against the Milwaukee Bucks, had his worst shooting game of the season. He went 5-of-16 for 20 points against the Hawks.

Despite having a shorthanded roster, the Hawks pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season so far with a 117-116 win over the Celtics in Boston. Jalen Johnson made up for Young's absence by posting a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Hawks had two days off prior to their matchup with the Celtics. They previously played on Nov. 9 against the Chicago Bulls. Young played 38 minutes in that game and there was no indication coming out of it he was injured.

Young was back in the starting lineup for Atlanta's next game on Nov. 15. The win over the Celtics remains the only game he has missed so far this season.

Atlanta currently leads Eastern Conference Group C in the NBA Cup standings with a 2-1 record. The team will wrap up group play on Friday when it hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers.