Trae Young leads Hawks to win vs. Knicks in first game back at MSG

1. Since Trae Young was one of many Hawks players sidelined with COVID-19 for the Hawks’ Christmas Day game in New York, this actually marked his first return to Madison Square Garden since a dominant performance in the first round of last year’s playoffs vs. the Knicks. To start the game, Young was booed basically every time he touched the ball, but that didn’t slow him down – he finished with a game-high 45 points (13-for-25 field goals, 7-for-15 from 3-point range, 12-for-14 free throws) and eight assists, with pivotal plays in crunch time to lift the Hawks to victory.

2. Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic dominated offensively for the Hawks from the moment Bogdanovic whipped a full-court pass when inbounding the ball, finding Young all the way under the opposite basket for a buzzer-beating layup at the end of the first quarter. Bogdanovic added a season-high 32 points (11-for-20 FG, 4-for-10 from 3-point range, 6-for-6 FT), plus four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Young and Bogdanovic combined for 77 of the Hawks’ 117 points.

3. Behind improved defense and Young and Bogdanovic catching a rhythm, the Hawks took a 64-58 lead at halftime, but six Atlanta turnovers led to 10 New York points in the third quarter to put the Hawks down two entering the fourth. The game seemed to turn in the Knicks’ favor when they started the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run, the Knicks seized a nine-point lead with 9:18 to play and the Hawks ultimately got down 10 before they cranked things up and pulled off a comeback. A turnaround jumper from Bogdanovic and 3-pointer from Young tied the game 105-105 with 2:54 left, with the Hawks taking a three-point lead after a Bogdanovic 3-pointer. They never trailed again, with another triple from De’Andre Hunter (10 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block) putting the Hawks up, 111-105, with 1:35 left.

“I thought we kept our composure. ... We made plays down the stretch when we needed to on both ends of the floor, and that gave us the win,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said.

4. This wasn’t a perfect performance from Atlanta, but it evoked the Hawks team from last year’s franchise-revitalizing playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals: brimming over with swagger and confidence. From Bogdanovic’s pass to center Clint Capela’s Dikembe Mutombo finger wag after swatting away a dunk attempt by Obi Toppin at the rim to Young crossing up Taj Gibson, extending the Hawks’ lead to eight with a little more than a minute to play, the Hawks dripped attitude.

“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 vs. everybody tonight,” Young said. “I think if we have that type of mindset each and every game, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win.”

5. Julius Randle (sore right quadriceps tendon) missed this game for the Knicks, who were led in scoring by RJ Barrett (30 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals, five turnovers) and Alec Burks (21 points, four assists, three steals). The Hawks also didn’t get to see Cam Reddish, traded to New York in January, since he’s out with a right shoulder AC injury, or Nerlens Noel (sore left foot), Derrick Rose (right ankle surgery) or Kemba Walker (not with team).

For the Hawks, John Collins (right ring finger sprain, right foot strain), Lou Williams (personal reasons) and Skylar Mays (non-COVID illness) were out, with Atlanta mostly using an eight-man rotation with Danilo Gallinari (10 points, 10 rebounds, three assists) starting in Collins’ absence, plus Bogdanovic, Delon Wright and Onyeka Okongwu coming off the bench.

Stat of the game: 14-for-26 (or 53.8%, what the Knicks shot from the line, compared to the Hawks’ 22-for-27, or 81.5%)

Star of the game: Young (dominated in his first trip back to MSG with 45 points and eight assists)

Quotable: “He loves it. what I really like about him, before I came here, I really like his competitive mindset all the time. He doesn’t take days off. He competes every single time in everything. ... He really showed you that when you kinda (provoke) him, he likes that.” (Bogdanovic on Young thriving in a hostile environment)