Trae Young scores 45 in return to MSG, Hawks beat Knicks

Trae Younger received a pregame hug from Spike Lee, so there was no less than slightly love for him inside Madison Sq. Backyard.

As soon as the sport began, so did the boos.

And identical to the playoffs, it was Younger who had the final phrase.

Younger had 45 factors and eight assists in his first sport at MSG since turning into a villain to New York Knicks followers, main a late surge that gave the Atlanta Hawks a 117-111 victory Tuesday evening.

Selecting up proper the place he left off final spring, Younger made seven 3-pointers, together with one which tied the sport at 105 with 2:54 to play. He then arrange Bogdan Bogdanovic for a go-ahead 3 and adopted one other by De’Andre Hunter by leaving Taj Gibson behind off the dribble and flattening a jumper to cap an 11-0 spurt and make it 113-105 with 1:04 left.

“I feel the swag and what we had been capable of do on the courtroom tonight and the vitality we had within the huddle, I knew it was simply us versus everyone tonight,” Younger stated. “And I feel if now we have that kind of mindset each sport, we’re going to offer ourselves an opportunity to win.”

Bogdanovic added a season-high 32 factors for the Hawks, who dropped the Knicks six video games behind them for tenth place within the Jap Convention, the ultimate spot within the play-in subject.

RJ Barrett had 30 factors and 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who fell to 30-42 to clinch their eighth dropping season within the final 9. The one successful file was after they went 41-31 final season to earn the No. 4 seed within the East.

The Hawks then beat them in 5 video games within the first spherical of the playoffs. Younger was the star in his first postseason collection, ignoring the profane taunts from followers and bowing to the group from close to midcourt late in Sport 5.

Younger missed the return journey when he was sidelined for the Christmas sport due to the NBA’s well being and security protocols. Followers booed him each time he touched the ball early Tuesday, although that didn’t final.

“We knew that the group was going to have that vitality just like the playoffs and our focus was on us to play good basketball tonight, and we didn’t speak about New York or the playoff collection,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan stated. “We wanted to win this sport. It’s a much-needed win for us and that was the main target.”

Younger stated Lee, the movie director and maybe the Knicks’ best-known fan, all the time exhibits him respect. And did the opposite followers sitting within the entrance row communicate so kindly?

“Oh yeah, they all the time do, do not they?” Younger joked.

Alec Burks had 21 factors for the Knicks, who performed with out Julius Randle due to a sore proper quadriceps tendon. They led by 10 early within the fourth, however the sport modified when Younger re-entered with 7:45 remaining.

The Knicks led 34-30 after one, a lead that will have been six if not for Bogdanovic taking the ball out after Barrett’s basket with 0.6 seconds left and flinging it the length of the court to Young, who caught and tossed it in multi function movement.

“It was cool, it was good momentum,” Bogdanovic stated, including he stunned himself slightly.

New York prolonged it to 12 within the second earlier than the Hawks surged forward by 9 and took a 64-58 lead into halftime. Bogdanovic had 15 factors and Younger 13 within the second quarter, combining for 4 extra factors than the Knicks scored.

“We didn’t shut the second quarter effectively and clearly we didn’t shut the fourth effectively,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau stated.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Bogdanovic was questionable to play due to a bruised proper quadriceps. … Although they received the 4 that mattered most final spring, the Hawks had misplaced six straight regular-season matchups with the Knicks.

Knicks: Thibodeau stated Randle has been coping with soreness that hasn’t gone away and that relaxation was most likely the one factor that will assist. He stated the ahead was day-to-day. … Thibodeau stated Derrick Rose, recovering from a process to handle a pores and skin an infection on his surgically repaired proper ankle, was doing slightly bit extra work however nonetheless not working towards but. … Immanuel Quickley scored 17 factors.

PAY UP

Randle was fined $40,000 by the NBA for steering hostile language at a referee after the Knicks’ loss to Utah on Sunday, when he additionally shoved Jazz middle Rudy Gobert. Randle has been fined 4 occasions for a complete of $130,000 this season.

“You’re human, there’s going to be feelings concerned in it,” Thibodeau stated relating to Randle’s outbursts, “however now we have to verify we’re controlling our feelings.”

SUPPORTING SCHOOLS

The Knicks hosted HBCU Evening, which included Howard College’s Air Pressure ROTC participating within the pregame festivities and the Delaware State marching band acting at halftime. The NBA and Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation, led by previous president Chris Paul, have made supporting the colleges a precedence.

“My daughter is a graduate of Howard College, in order that they’re nice universities and for the NBA and our gamers to deliver consideration to these universities, to attempt to get extra assist to these universities, I feel is essential,” McMillan stated.

UP NEXT

Hawks: Go to Detroit on Wednesday.

Knicks: Go to Charlotte on Wednesday.