Despite a down first half, the Atlanta Hawks eliminated the New York Knicks from the NBA Cup, much to the dismay of the Madison Square Garden crowd. Trae Young embraced his role as the Empire State's villain, beating the Knicks 108-100.
"I told ya'll," a smiling Young said to courtside fans after the Hawks eliminated the Knicks from the NBA Cup on Wednesday evening. Young said in his postgame that it's love for the Knicks, despite the crowd's contrary feelings of the star guard. However, more love was lost than gained in the Hawks' second-half turnaround over the Knicks.
Heading into the game, Young played opossum, claiming he doesn't strive to embrace the villain role.
"It's cool. I don't like being a villain. I don't like being that way…I don't think I turned myself into a villain; I feel like people turned me into a villain," Young said.
However, his gleeful skip after the Hawks secured the victory over the Knicks conflicts with his alleged reluctance to play the bad guy in New York. Although the crowd didn't seem to chant "(expletive) you" at Young on Wednesday, the Knicks fans directed boos at the Atlanta point guard.
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Young finished with 22 points and 11 assists. Although he didn't have the best shooting mark or even the highest scoring figure, he led his team to victory.
The Hawks' young, athletic wings fit with the undersized guard's knack for slinging the ball around the court, which made for a formidable weapon the Knicks failed to combat. Ultimately, the Knicks couldn't keep up with the Hawks' action on the boards, and Young's signature floaters also compromised their defense.
New York falls 0-2 to Atlanta for the 2024-25 season, with this game hurting the most, given the NBA Cup implications. The Knicks must wait until Jan. 20 to seek revenge against the enemy of the state, Young and the Hawks.
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This story was originally published December 11, 2024, 6:54 PM.