This time, Trae Young rolled snake eyes.
The Knicks got revenge on the Hawks and their nemesis on MLK Day, with Young going ice-cold down the stretch and stifled by Mikal Bridges in New York’s 119-110 gut-check victory.
“It was a big win for us,” said Jalen Brunson, who led all scorers with 34 points.
The matinee represented 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.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns goes up for a shot as Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci tries to defend. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Over a month later, they secured a win that was intermittently ugly, physical, dragged down by complaining to the referees — and satisfactory for the home team 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 fresher legs and offensive talent in the second half.
Brunson was the catalyst while shooting 12-for-18 overall in 39 minutes. His backcourt mate, Mikal Bridges, added 26 points and served as the main defender on Young, who had 27 points but went quiet as a mouse when it mattered most.
In the fourth quarter, Young shot 1-for-8 with just 4 points and three turnovers. Miles McBride and OG Anunoby also defended Young in the fourth quarter. Young finished with nine turnovers.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson puts up a shot as Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter defends. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Knicks guard Josh Hart puts up a shot in the first half. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“To guard Trae, he’s such a tough cover,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “And there’s a million pick-and-rolls you have to defend. Sometimes you can defend them really well and he can still make a shot. So I thought he was really disciplined. You have to be that. And he kept going.”
The highlight and tone-setter was Bridges’ forcing a 24-second violation in the first quarter, picking up the dribbling Young one-on-one for the entire possession.
“I was just trying to get a stop,” Bridges said. “I know he’s crafty and didn’t want him to score and I know my teammates have my back and just trying to guard them. I heard the Garden. It got loud.”
Hawks guard Trae Young drives down court as New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges defends. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The dice roll from last month had further solidified Young’s role as enemy No. 1 to Knicks fans, who jeered each time the Hawks point guard 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 the Brunson-Bridges tandem to turn a 5-point halftime deficit into a 5-point advantage heading into the final period.
The Knicks held the Hawks (22-20) to just 10 points in the final 7 ½ minutes.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives down the court as Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young defends. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“And obviously Mikal was out there to start it off,” Josh Hart said. “He was our point of attack defender and he did a great job today. He started and everything kind of trickled down.”
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.
On defense, Towns’ adjustment from dropping back against the pick-and-roll to playing closer to the perimeter helped stifle Young.
“Him being up helps the team’s defense and helps the guy on the ball getting back,” Bridges said.
The Knicks improved to 1-2 this season against the Hawks, who they don’t play again until April 5.
