The Atlanta Hawks faced a financial penalty of $100,000 following the decision to hold Trae Young out of an NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics on November 12. The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the fine after conducting an investigation that concluded Young 'could have played' under the league's standard medical policy. Young was ruled out of the game due to right Achilles tendinitis, adding to the team's list of players who were sidelined for this opener of the NBA Cup.

In addition to Young, the Hawks had five other players unavailable for the contest against the Celtics. The injury report indicated that Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy), Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder subluxation), De'Andre Hunter (personal family reasons), and Vit Krejci (right adductor strain) were also out of the lineup. Despite their shorthanded roster, the Hawks achieved a significant upset, defeating the Celtics 117-116 in Boston.

The Celtics, who were also contending with injuries, listed Jayson Tatum and Al Horford as questionable before the game; both players ultimately participated. Tatum, after experiencing an ankle roll in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 10, recorded his worst shooting performance of the season, finishing with 20 points on 5-of-16 shooting. The Hawks saw Jalen Johnson step up in Young's absence, delivering a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Young returned to the starting lineup for the Hawks' following game on November 15, marking his only missed game thus far this season. Presently, Atlanta leads Eastern Conference Group C in the NBA Cup standings with a record of 2-1 and is set to conclude group play against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.