The Knicks got revenge on Trae Young and the Hawks.
Behind Jalen Brunson’s 34 points, New York left the MLK Day matinee at MSG with a 119-110 win that was ugly, physical and filled with complaining to the referees but nonetheless satisfactory after the final buzzer.
The Knicks (28-16), trying to right the ship after a defeat last week to the Timberwolves, had the benefit of two days off and finally flexed their offensive talent in the second half.
Brunson was the catalyst while shooting 12-for-18 in 39 minutes, and his backcourt mate, Mikal Bridges, was a worthy No. 2.
Bridges dropped 26 points and served as the main defender on Young, who had 27 points but went quiet as a tiny mouse when it mattered most.
In the fourth quarter, Young shot 1-for-8 with just four points and three turnovers. Miles McBride and OG Anunoby also defended Young in the fourth quarter.
It was the first game against the Hawks since Young beat the Knicks on Dec. 16 and infamously pretended to roll dice on the MSG midcourt logo.
That game and moment served as an indictment on the lack of toughness and identity from these Knicks compared to last season’s squad.
It also further solidified Young’s role as enemy No. 1 to Knicks fans, unfolding again Monday with jeers each time he held the rock or was announced on the loudspeaker. In the first half — when Young scored 18 points with four assists — it appeared the villain might win again.
But the Knicks turned the tide in the third quarter, riding their Brunson-Bridges backcourt to turn a five-point halftime deficit into a five-point advantage heading into the final period.
Karl-Anthony Towns returned from a two-game absence because of a sprained thumb with a bone chip, an injury that required him to strap tape around his thumb.
He finished with 13 points but shot just 5-for-18, including 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Cam Payne was again a spark plug off the bench with 10 points in just 12 minutes.
He was pulled in the fourth quarter after receiving a technical foul for yelling near the referee.
The Knicks improved to 1-2 this season against the Hawks, who they don’t play again until April 5.
“They’re long, they’re athletic, they’re skilled and they’re built around Trae and the way he plays and the attention that he commands,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “And that’s why it’s important to be able to, there’s times you can defend him well, he still has the ability to make a shot. But it’s also his playmaking. You overcommit, they put their pressure on the rim and then you have to be able to read what he’s doing with the ball.”