COVID-19 kept Trae Young from taking the floor against the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. The crowd at Madison Square Garden made sure he was a part of their team's rousing win over the Atlanta Hawks anyway.
Familiar “F**k Trae Young” chants rained down from the stands early and often throughout Saturday's game, a 101-87 New York victory over the depleted Hawks. During the fourth quarter of his team's loss, though, Young took to Twitter to ask why Knicks fans had waited so long to bring out their old playoff mantra—and further fan the flames of an ever-budding rivalry.
They only say it at the end now?!?
🤔🤔🤔smart 😂*at least all I heard🤫
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 25, 2021
Young became New York's latest postseason villain last spring, leading underdog Atlanta to a five-game win in the first round of the playoffs. Two of those victories came at Madison Square Garden, where Young thrived off the extra attention being paid to him by a raucous Knicks fanbase, quickly emerging as one of the NBA's most natural “heels” since Reggie Miller tormented New York in the 1990s.
Young, playing the best basketball of his career in 2021-22 despite Atlanta's relative early struggles, was joined in the health-and-safety protocols by eight of his teammates, including Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Onyeka Okongwu.
The loss moves Atlanta to 15-17, half-game ahead of the Knicks for 11th in the East.
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