New villain emerges in New York as CJ McCollum guides Hawks to 107-106 Game 2 win over Knicks

Trae Young may no longer be in Atlanta, but a new villain has emerged on the Hawks to take his place. With the sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd cursing his name, Hawks guard CJ McCollum scored six of his team's last eight points as they erased a 14-point deficit to stun the Knicks in New York 107-106 and even the Eastern Conference first-round series at one game apiece. “I’m not the villain,” said McCollum after the game.

”I’m a nice guy with two kids and a wife. I think it's admiration. Great, passionate fans in a hostile environment… If anything, I think it's a sign of respect.

” If so, it’s the same type of “respect” that the Knicks faithful showed Young for years. Even though the former Hawks guard is now on the Wizards, Monday night’s game had all the hallmarks of the 2021 playoff series when the fifth-seeded Hawks beat the fourth-seeded Knicks in five games, and Young became public enemy number one in the city. Game 2 on Monday night had a double technical foul, three fouls reviewed for potential flagrants, and one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that resulted in coaches having to run onto the court to separate players.

“It’s just basketball; that’s how it’s supposed to be,” said McCollum after the game. “We’ve got a lot on the line. They’ve got a lot on the line.