Trae Young scores 45 in return to MSG, Hawks beat Knicks

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Trae Young got a pregame hug from Spike Lee, so there was at least a little love for him inside Madison Square Garden.

Once the game started, so did the boos.

And just like the playoffs, it was Young who had the last word.

Young had 45 points and eight assists in his first game at MSG since becoming a villain to New York Knicks fans, leading a late surge that gave the Atlanta Hawks a 117-111 victory Tuesday night.

Picking up right where he left off last spring, Young made seven 3-pointers, including one that tied the game at 105 with 2:54 to play. He then set up Bogdan Bogdanovic for a go-ahead 3 and followed another by De'Andre Hunter by leaving Taj Gibson behind off the dribble and knocking down a jumper to cap an 11-0 spurt and make it 113-105 with 1:04 left.

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Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) motions to the crowd during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

"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."

Bogdanovic added a season-high 32 points for the Hawks, who dropped the Knicks six games behind them for 10th place in the Eastern Conference, the final spot in the play-in field.

RJ Barrett had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who fell to 30-42 to clinch their eighth losing season in the last nine. The only winning record was when they went 41-31 last