Trae Young continues to haunt New York Knicks, scores 45 points in Madison Square Garden

By Ben Morse, CNN

Updated 0925 GMT (1725 HKT) March 23, 2022

Trae Young motions to the crowd during the first half of the game against the New York Knicks.

(CNN)Trae Young is public enemy No. 1 amongst New York Knicks fans.

When he exploded against the Knicks in the playoffs last season, the young star transformed from just an opposing player to a villain in the Big Apple. The crowning moment was his bow in the center of Madison Square Garden having just eliminated the Knicks from the playoffs. And the two factions reignited their feud on Monday night, with Young having the last laugh. The 23-year-old erupted for 45 points, helping his Atlanta Hawks to a 117-111 win over the Knicks. Read MoreWhen he was asked about whether the boos that rained down on him were as loud as he expected them to be, Young had a sly dig at the New York fans. Young drives to the basket against the Knicks.«Nah, I couldn't really hear them, for real,» he told TNT on the court after the win. «It wasn't even that loud, to be honest with you.» Young scored seven three-pointers, providing the key thrust in a late surge which handed last season's Eastern Conference finalists the victory. Bogdan Bogdanovic added a season-high 32 points off the bench for the Hawks in the hostile environment for the traveling team. «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,» Young said. «And I think if we have that type of mindset each and every game, we're going to give ourselves a chance to win.»RJ Barrett led the way for the Knicks with 30 points, as the team struggled in the absence of Julius Randle. New York had a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but