The New York Knicks have a Trae Young problem. The Atlanta Hawks' superstar keeps cooking them, and he even rolled dice on the Knicks' logo at half-court of Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
New York franchise jewel Jalen Brunson sounded off on Young's antics post-game, via SNY.
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“We should win the game if we don't want him to do that,” the Villanova alum said.
Young's Las Vegas-themed celebration, an ode to where the NBA Cup semifinals will be held, can be found below, via Bleacher Report.
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Young registered 22 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds in the Hawks' 108-100 victory over the Knicks, sending them through to the NBA Cup semifinals. The three-time All-Star averages 25.4 points and 9.6 assists against New York and led Atlanta to an upset series win over the Orange and Blue in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, famously bowing to the Madison Square Garden crowd after the fifth and final contest.
What's next for the Knicks now that they're out of the NBA Cup?
Knicks must finish strong in December
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to pass the ball against Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) and forward Franz Wagner (22) and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Despite the loss, New York is still fourth in the Eastern Conference at 15-10, one game behind the Orlando Magic for third. Coincidentally, the Knicks play in Orlando on Sunday evening.
That contest kicks off a three-game road trip, capped off with a matchup against the 5-20 New Orleans Pelicans. However, New York hasn't been invincible against subpar squads this year, as it recently lost to the Detroit Pistons (10-15) and the Utah Jazz (5-18).
Going forward, the Knicks must not play down to the level of their competition. The red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers already have a six-game lead over them for first place in the East, and that gap will only grow if New York keeps getting upset by below-average opponents.
With three combined games scheduled against the 7-18 Toronto Raptors and 3-19 Washington Wizards, the Knicks have no excuse to not finish strong in December.