Trae Young and the Hawks beat the Knicks in Game 1 of their playoff series. Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Trae Young liked hearing Knicks fans taunt him with profane chants

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 5/23/21

Trae Young has a little bit of heel in him.

Young had the winning shot for his Atlanta Hawks as they beat the New York Knicks 107-105 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.

ICE TRAE pic.twitter.com/JIpPTeLClp

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 24, 2021

Young was interviewed on TNT afterward and said he liked hearing Knicks fans taunt him with “f— you!” chants.

“When you’re in the zone, and everybody’s chanting ‘F you!’ … it got real quiet at the end. And for me, I wanted to hear those ‘F you!’ chants again,” Young said.

Having the fans in the arena has been instrumental in bringing out the best in players. They seemed to make a big difference at the PGA Championship on Sunday, where Phil Mickelson was mobbed. That also seems to have been the case for Young, who was playing his best at Madison Square Garden. He had 32 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in the game.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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