Knicks more concerned with solving Hawks’ defense than Trae Young’s antics

The Knicks are staying focused connected the task astatine hand, refusing to provender into Trae Young’s theatrics — antics that person made him a polarizing fig astatine Madison Square Garden.

Young’s astir caller show came erstwhile helium rolled imaginary dice connected the center-court logo aft his Atlanta Hawks eliminated the Knicks from the NBA Cup quarterfinal successful emphatic fashion.

“It’s benignant of similar the quality of the league, and it’s ever that way. He’s a bully player, and truthful I deliberation he’s authentic,” caput manager Tom Thibodeau said. “We respect him, but we got to play. We’re not gonna get wrapped up successful each the different stuff. That’s portion of the crippled today, societal media and each that stuff. Just absorption connected what we request to bash to win.”

For the Knicks, that absorption lies squarely connected solving the Hawks’ defense, which has been a nightmare successful their 2 meetings this season.

Both losses followed a akin script, with All-NBA Defensive First Team campaigner Dyson Daniels wreaking havoc astatine the constituent of attack.

At 6-foot-7, Daniels uses his magnitude and physicality to relentlessly unit Jalen Brunson, often picking him up afloat court.

The results person been telling: Brunson has changeable conscionable 13-of-33 from the field, totaling 35 points crossed the 2 defeats.

“We’ve gotta execute our crippled plan, but we’ve gotta beryllium acceptable to set erstwhile things aren’t going our way,” Brunson said connected Sunday. “Every crippled is gonna beryllium a roller coaster, truthful you’re gonna person a lead, you’re gonna beryllium down, you ne'er cognize what’s gonna happen. As a team, we’ve gotta enactment composed, support our ft connected the gas, and fig retired however to win.”

Mikal Bridges emphasized the value of connection and “playing hard” successful countering Atlanta’s physicality.

The Hawks besides leverage their size vantage connected the wings and a potent halfway rotation featuring Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu. The Knicks, successful contrast, could beryllium shorthanded again, with Karl-Anthony Towns questionable for the matchup owed to a thumb sprain.

Adding to New York’s situation is the instrumentality of Hawks breakout prima Jalen Johnson, who logged 14 points and 13 rebounds successful Atlanta’s overtime triumph against the Boston Celtics connected Saturday.

“They’re physical. They’re long, athletic. They tin shoot, they tin enactment it connected the floor,” Thibodeau said. “They’re bully rebounders, they’re big, and we’re gonna person to play pugnacious and astute for 48 minutes.”

Despite the game’s tactical focus, Young’s flair for showmanship remains an unavoidable subplot.

His villainous narration with Knicks fans dates backmost to Atlanta’s playoff triumph implicit New York successful 2021, a rivalry helium has embraced with gestures similar shimmies and melodramatic bows.

“I deliberation if that’s what helium wants to do, it’s bully for him. If helium embraces it, large for him,” Brunson said. “I person a batch of respect for him arsenic a player, and I deliberation that dates earlier I adjacent got here. It’s different situation for us, and we’ve conscionable gotta beryllium ready.”

If the Knicks privation to forestall different spectacle from Young, it volition necessitate containing him portion cracking Atlanta’s stingy defense. Brunson, however, insists the team’s information doesn’t hinge connected theatrics.

“[Is there] a small much to this crippled tomorrow? No. We person to attack each crippled the aforesaid way,” Brunson said. “Our information is to triumph each crippled we spell retired determination and play. That’s each the information we need.”

Bridges added that Young’s antics are a byproduct of the Knicks’ lapses.

“We thought we weren’t playing the close mode connected some ends and that’s what made him [roll the dice],” helium said. “If we played amended connected some ends, helium wouldn’t person been [able to bash that].”