Trae Young just knows how to win in the Big Apple.
The Atlanta Hawks stunned a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden as they advanced to the semifinals of the Emirates NBA Cup with 108-100 victory against the Knicks.
It was one of the Hawks most impressive wins of the season. The Knicks came out of the gates with relentless energy, taking an early lead thanks to sharp shooting and aggressive defense. Karl Anthony-Towns had a night in the first half, as he had 10 points and 14 rebounds along with four assists.
As the game progressed, the Hawks began to find their rhythm, with Trae Young leading the charge in the second quarter. Despite being outscored in the quarter, the Hawks held their ground, although they found themselves down at halftime 54-47.
The battle on the boards was a key factor, with the Hawks grabbing crucial rebounds to deny second-chance points.
The third quarter was pivotal for the Hawks, as they outscored the Knicks 34-18. De’Andre Hunter came alive during this stretch, knocking down key three-pointers and silencing the crowd. Hunter finished the game with a game-high 24 points.
Defensively, they forced the Knicks into many turnovers, converting those into transition baskets. Defensive superstar Dyson Daniels held Knicks star Jalen Brunson to 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting from the field. Brunson entered the game averaging 25 points per game. By the end of the quarter, the Hawks had gained a lead, 81-72.
The Hawks never looked back after winning the third quarter as they were relentless in the paint with rebounding and scoring with ease. They outrebounded the Knicks 58-49 and outscored the Knicks 66-54 in the paint. The Hawks also outscored the Knicks 61-46 in the second half.
Young was brilliant against the Knicks as he scored 22 points along with 11 assists. Young is trilled to be having fun and winning games this season.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun this year with the guys we have. I know we have a really young team. The guys that are playing are young, so it’s fun,” he said. “And I like the energy that we have on and off the court, we really get along. It’s just been great to be honest with you as you just want to keep stacking wins, and as a young team when you win a few games, it’s easy to look ahead and be, worried about the next opponent or get to high whenever you be a really good team.”
Jalen Johnson had a huge night as he finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Johnson is taking his game to another level as he has proven to be the a much improved player this season. Young couldn’t be happier for Jalen and the success he has had as injuries derailed some of his early struggles in the league.
“(Jalen Johnson’s) role is increased, obviously. It was just unfortunate injuries have been able to hold him back as he is so talented, and everybody knew that when we we took him out of the draft. Some of the injuries have been holding him back a little bit, and those are some things that he can’t necessarily control. And now that he’s able to be on the court for us, you kind of get to see what he brings and every night we’re not going to be perfect. With Jalen having a night like tonight grabbing all those boards he did and scoring when he needed to and getting every involved, it made it a good night,” continued Young.
The Hawks will travel to Las Vegas in a showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday in a game that will decide who will advance to the Emirates NBA Cup championship game.