Trae Young has been breaking New York Knicks fans’ hearts since he entered the league in 2018. The relationship between Trae and the Knicks is probably the biggest rivalry in today’s NBA, but during their battle before the 2025 All-Star weekend, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson gave it their all for the fans watching inside the Madison Square Garden and finally conquered a hot Trae Young after narrowly beating the Hawks, 149-148 in overtime.
KAT had a 44-point and 10-rebound double-double, marking the first time the sharpshooting big man recorded a back-to-back 40-point outing. Jalen Brunson also had a terrific night, putting up 36 points, including the dagger go-ahead shot with just 11 seconds remaining in OT.
All three other starters also finished with double digits: Josh Hart (18 points and 10 rebounds), Mikal Bridges (11),
and Precious Achiuwa, who took the injured OG Anunoby’s spot, recorded 26 huge points and 8 boards for the dub.
This intense game also happens to be the highest-scoring matchup this season.
The Hawks’ deep bench had their moments after they completely outscored the Knicks’ reserves. Young, who has always been hated by Knicks fans, silenced the crowd by going ballistic and led a run that forced overtime. Ultimately, their efforts for a comeback win were quelled by Brunson’s game-winner.
Trae Young, who had just been named as the replacement for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the upcoming All-Star game, had an impressive night after he finished with 36 points and 19 assists. Four other Hawks players acted as reinforcements and recorded 20+ points: Caris LeVert (20), Onyeka Okongwu (21), Georges Niang (21), and Dyson Daniels (23).
