CJ McCollum trying not to embrace new role as Knicks’ playoff villain
Whether he likes it or not, Madison Square Garden has a new antagonist.
CJ McCollum trying not to embrace new role as Knicks’ playoff villain originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Five years after the Atlanta Hawks took care of the New York Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the two franchises are once again locked into a competitive series.
CJ McCollum, doing his best Trae Young impression, put the Hawks on his back Monday night, leading his team in scoring with 32 points on 12 of 22 shooting from the field. He was consistently knocking down must-have shots down the stretch of Game 2. The Madison Square Garden faithful let McCollum have it during the game.
Expletive chants rained down on the veteran throughout the third quarter of Game 2. But it was McCollum who ended up having the last laugh, and he seems to be embracing his new role. CJ McCollum responds to hatred from Knicks fans After Game 2, McCollum was asked about the expletives from the Garden faithful, and he did his best to downplay the narrative of becoming the new villain in New York.
"I ain't no villain, I'm a nice guy with two kids and a wife. I think it's admiration. Great, passionate fans.