For at least this round of the rivalry between Trae Young and New York Knicks fans, the Atlanta Hawks guard got the last laugh.
The Hawks went on the road Wednesday night and defeated the Knicks 108-100 in the 2025 NBA Cup quarterfinals. The impressive victory in Madison Square Garden will send the Hawks to Las Vegas for a semifinal matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks and Young is a big reason why.
The three-time NBA All-Star tallied a double-double with 22 points and 11 assists while adding five rebounds. Young's performance was even more noteworthy considering it came on the road against a Knicks fanbase with whom he's had plenty of back-and-forth. But it was his late-game celebration that made even more headlines.
As time expired in Atlanta's victory, Young pretended to throw dice while on the Knicks logo to celebrate his team advancing to play in Vegas.
While some fans took exception to Young doing the gesture on the logo, Knicks star Jalen Brunson was asked about it after the game. As SNY TV revealed, Brunson gave a candid response to the celebration.
"We should win the game if we don't want him to do that," Brunson said of Young's dice-roll celebration.
Brunson's response is exactly what you'd expect to hear from the team's leader, who was understandably disappointed after the loss. Brunson finished the night with 14 points, eight assists and four rebounds, but the Knicks couldn't overcome a tough third quarter in which they were outscored 34-18.
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This story was originally published December 11, 2024, 10:43 PM.