NBA
Hawks star Trae Young on Knicks fans: “It’s a love-hate relationship”
Joe Lyons is a sports writer and has also been published by Nottingham Forest FC, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, darts and American football. Joe specialises in long form SEO content alongside news, tips and betting. His sports betting work can be found on SportsLens and The Sports Daily. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.
All posts by Joe LyonsUpdated4 hours ago on December 12, 2024
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young silenced Madison Square Garden once again to send the New York Knicks crashing out of the NBA Cup.
The NBA’s best villain is without a doubt Trae Young
Trae Young did it again in the Big Apple. Despite entering as +280 underdogs as per the best online betting sites, the Hawks pulled off a monstrous upset to advance to Las Vegas.
Josh Hart can stop thinking about what watch he’s going to buy with the $500,000 bonus for winning the competition – and Atlanta have a real shot at some silverware.
Young tallied a double-double of 22 points and 11 assists as well as five rebounds on the night and described his relationship with the MSG faithful as “love hate”:
“It’s a love-hate relationship. I got a lot of love and lot of hate I guess from them, but I got a lot of love from them too. It’s respect.”
HAWKS WIN! pic.twitter.com/tgKDrs0lnr
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 12, 2024
‘Ice Trae’ continues to be a sharp thorn (icicle?) in New York’s side
Trae Young vs Knicks fans has arguably been the greatest rivalry in the NBA since it all kicked off during the 2021 playoffs.
Young reached the postseason for the first time in his career and led the Hawks to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, sending the Knicks home on his way.
It began with a cheeky shush to the crowd after hitting the winner in Game 1 of the series, silencing a stunned Madison Square Garden crowd.
Young averaged 29.2 points in that series and Atlanta took the spoils in five games, paving the way for a frosty atmosphere every time he comes back.
After missing a trip to MSG on Christmas Day later that year in 2021, ‘Ice Trae’ marked his return with a 45-point masterclass in March 2022 and the Hawks have won four of their last five in New York.
Young embraces being the villain and it suits his game perfectly. He’s capable of the spectacular and at his best, he’s capable of being one of the NBA’s box office headliners.
Here’s to many more fantastic moments like this.
