Knicks knocked out of NBA Cup with quarterfinal loss to Trae Young and the Hawks
OG Anunoby #8 of the Knicks drives against Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Knicks insisted that this game, the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, meant nothing more than any other game.
And maybe that’s a good thing because they can push aside what was just a miserable performance. Maybe they can tell themselves that this elimination game in a midseason tournament was nothing like a season-ending playoff loss. They can forget that it was Trae Young who once again arrived at the Garden and took it over.
The Atlanta Hawks, led by Young but accompanied by a talented young core, simply took over the game in the second half — turning a double-digit deficit into a 108-100 win to advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas. Young finished with 22 points and 11 assists, miming a roll of the dice (an homage to Vegas) near the Knicks' logo at center court when the game was finished.
The Knicks instead will head to the losers portion of the schedule, adding a game Sunday in Orlando at 6 p.m. against the Magic, who were eliminated Tuesday by Milwaukee. That would be the same Orlando team that the Knicks were blowing out last week and took their foot off the pedal in the point differential math of group play, allowing the Hawks to be their opponent and keep the Boston Celtics out of the knockout round.
It may have seemed like a good strategy at the start as the Hawks missed their first eight shots of the game. But the Knicks never could take advantage of the early struggles by Atlanta, and that would come back to bite them in the third quarter.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 19 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out. Josh Hart had 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. But Jalen Brunson was held in check by Dyson Daniels, finishing with 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting, and OG Anunoby (13 points) struggled through a 5-for-17 shooting night (1-for-9 from three).
The Knicks had led throughout the game, but the 11-2 start to first quarter seemed a distant memory when Young delivered back-to-back three-point field goals as the Hawks took a 68-66 lead with 5:43 left in the third. As the chants descended throughout the Garden on Young, he just seemed to grow stronger — two more free throws and then a De’Andre Hunter three upping the Atlanta lead to seven.
The Hawks outscored the Knicks 29-10 to finish the third quarter, turning a 10-point deficit into an 81-72 lead entering the fourth quarter. In the quarter the Hawks outscored the Knicks, 34-18, led by Young, who had 12 points, four rebounds and five assists.
In the fourth quarter the Knicks tried to mount comebacks, but every time they cut into the lead they were haunted by a failure to keep the Hawks off the glass. On one possession, with the deficit at 89-82 after a Hart three followed by a Hart offensive rebound and kick out to Cam Payne for three, the crowd started a loud chant of, “De-fense.” Precious Achiuwa swatted a shot away — but the Hawks would get four more shots on the possession before finally getting a layup from Onyeka Okongwu.
“Every game counts the same,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said pregame. "That’s the way we approach it. So going into the game, stick with your routine, don’t get sidetracked with the hoopla. It’s great for the fans. But understand what goes into winning.”
Facing the Hawks Wednesday, there were all sorts of motivations. The Hawks had already beaten the Knicks in Atlanta this season when rookie Zaccharie Risacher exploded for a season-high 33 points (he hasn’t reached more than 18 in any other game). Daniels had roughed up Brunson then too, using his size and physicality to try to get the Knicks star off his game (a common practice now and rarely successful).
And of course there was Young and the memories of what he’d done to the Knicks in the 2021 playoffs, sending them home in five games and taking over the Garden as his own playground.
But, other than the coaching staff there were no ties to that playoff series left for the Knicks. The only player on the roster left from that series is Mitchell Robinson, who has been sidelined all season and still has no return date in place.
“That’s sort of the nature of the league,” Thibodeau said. “Constant change and it’s how quickly can you adapt? Whether it could be injury, could be trade, could be free agency. There’s so many different variables that come into it.
"Even sometimes, you can come back with the same team and you won’t play the same way. That’s the challenge every year is you start from zero, start over, and get everyone onto the same page and figure out what are the strengths of the club. Play to your strengths and cover up your weaknesses. There’s constant change and then it’s how quickly can you adapt?”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
