At only 23 years old, Trae Young hasn't lived long enough. But he sure has already become a villain for the New York Knicks. The Atlanta Hawks star once again torched Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night to come away with a 117-111 victory against his favorite rival squad.
Young finished with 45 points and eight assists to lead the Hawks. It was his first game back in the Big Apple after his memorable performance in the NBA Playoffs last season. He enjoyed talking smack to the Knicks and their fans, embracing the animosity.
Before the game, Young had a cool moment with film director Spike Lee, who's widely known as the biggest Knicks fan. In a report by ESPN, the Hawks spitfire said Lee has always shown him respect. But when asked about other Knicks fans sitting at courtside, Young blurted a sarcastic reply.
“Oh yeah, they always do (show respect), don't they?”
The All-Star guard also took to Twitter to throw more shade against the Knicks.
The Return to the City was cool… real cool🤫
🤌🏽❄️ #WeMove pic.twitter.com/7rtWMWVp3L— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) March 23, 2022
Young said the Hawks can beat anybody if they maintain the same mindset they carried against the Knicks.
“I think the swag and what we were able to do on the court tonight and the energy we had in the huddle, I knew it was just us versus everybody tonight. And I think if we have that type of mindset each and every game, we're going to give ourselves a chance to win.”
The Hawks improved to 36-36 and are holding on to the no. 10 spot to advance to the play-in tournament. They will face the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
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