If we learned anything during the first half of Sunday’s Eastern Conference Game 1 between the Hawks and Knicks (the latter hosting their first playoff game in eight years), it’s that Knicks fans don’t have much love for Trae Young. Listen to this hostility (get those earmuffs out, parents).
The polarizing Hawks guard has gained a reputation for whining to refs (hence his seven technicals this season) and trying to sell fouls by initiating contact with defenders, traits that have made him a divisive player and a frequent target of hecklers on the road. Playing in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden (Sunday's attendance was expected to be around 15,000, making it the largest indoor event in New York since the COVID pandemic), it’s no surprise Young, who led Atlanta in both scoring (25.3 points per game) and assists (9.4) during the regular season, got such an icy reception from New York’s famously ruthless fan base.
Knicks fans made their presence felt in the first half, going ballistic after Obi Toppen’s emphatic dunk over Clint Capela and again when Immanuel Quickley drained a 30-foot jumper, trimming the Hawks’ lead to a single point.
So far, MSG's electric atmosphere has been more akin to a Finals Game 7 than the first round. But if we know anything about New York fans, it's that they always bring it for the postseason.
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