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3 fire takeaways from Knicks’ commanding win over Trae Young, Hawks

ByJordanna Clark|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 7: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks passes the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 7: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks passes the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

A few days after knocking off Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers at MSG, the New York Knicks did the same to Trae Young and the Hawks in a dominant 113-89 win. After losing five straight at home, the Knicks have now won their last two games in NYC.

Atlanta suffered a tough blow in the first quarter when RJ Barrett was given a flagrant foul for a “reckless closeout” on Dejounte Murray, whose ankle came down on Barrett’s foot. Murray left the game for the locker room and didn’t return to the game after only having played four minutes.

After allowing the Hawks to go on a 17-0 run in the second quarter, the Knicks put the game away in the third quarter and went into the final quarter of play with a 22-point lead.

New York shot an impressive season-high 47.2% from three, while Atlanta shot only 17.2%. The Knicks entered the game shooting a league-worst 31.3% from deep but their shots were falling on Wednesday night as they advanced to 12-13.

3 takeaways from Knicks’ 113-89 win over Trae Young and Hawks

3: Trae Young should wear ‘King of Broadway’ shoes more often

Trae Young wasn’t able to take over like Murray did when Atlanta erased a double-digit deficit to win by double-digits in the first matchup. He finished with 19 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field and 0-of-4 shooting from deep.

Considering that Young wore orange and blue ‘King of Broadway’ shoes, he didn’t play like it as he finished with a game-worst +/- of -26. Like ESPN’s Doris Burke said, if you’re going to wear that on your shoes, you need to walk out with a win. It’s a good thing for New York that he didn’t.

It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?

2: Quentin Grimes is special

Quentin Grimes stole the show at 2022 Summer League but a foot injury kept him sidelined for the beginning of the season.

Against the Hawks, Knicks fans were reminded why they were calling for him to start over the summer as he scored a season-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from deep. Grimes’ impact didn’t stop on the offensive end, though. He was all over the court on defense and made Young’s life harder, especially with no Murray.

Grimes’ future is bright. If he can stay healthy for the rest of the year, watch out.

1: Julius Randle plays better when he feels like he doesn’t have to do it all

And for the star of the night, we have Julius Randle. He exploded for 34 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field and 6-of-12 shooting from three and added 17 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and no turnovers (!) on top of that.

Instead of forcing shots, Randle created open shots for his teammates that were a result of his decision-making. The Knicks are better when he plays the way that he did last night by following the flow of the game. Randle isn’t going to have a monstrous double-double every game, but it is possible for him to look more like that kind of player on a nightly basis, even when his shots aren’t falling.

Let’s see if the Knicks can push the win streak to three in Charlotte on Friday night.

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