Julius Randle shines against nemesis Trae Young, Knicks beat Hawks 113-89

Trae Young’s latest Broadway show was a flop.

Attempting to play up his villain status Wednesday at MSG, Young wore sneakers in Knicks colors with the following message stitched into the back: “King Of Broadway.”

It was a bold statement but Young failed to back it up against the Knicks, who used Quentin Grimes to frustrate the Hawks point guard in New York’s dominating 113-89 victory.

Julius Randle represented the offensive hero with 34 points and 17 rebounds, but Grimes was the two-way standout and catalyst to the Knicks’ best two-game stretch of the season (Grimes also locked down Donovan Mitchell in Sunday’s win over the Cavs).

“Yeah I do [like the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player],” Grimes said. “I like making it hard for somebody to score on me, just look at it as a personal challenge, more of a pride thing. So I feel like I can take on the challenge of whoever it is really.”

With Grimes as his shadow and the Knicks plugging driving lanes, Young produced just 19 points with four turnovers in 30 minutes. He struggled without his two best teammates available due to injuries – Dejounte Murray and John Collins – as the Knicks (12-13) held an opponent to under 90 points for a second straight game.

Grimes not only stifled Young, he outscored the All-Star with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

The Knicks continued to employ a nine-man rotation, with Derrick Rose and Cam Reddish logging second straight DNPs.

It means more time for Grimes and a steady role for Miles McBride, who logged a season-high 27 minutes Wednesday.

“I’m taking it head-on. I’m not scared of any opportunity,” McBride said. “I’m gonna attack each challenge like I always have.”

With his new rotation, Tom Thibodeau, who carries a reputation of leaning too hard on veterans, isn’t playing anybody over 28 years old.

The tinker has been a resounding success through two games but the coach isn’t ready to shout ‘Eureka.’

“I don’t think you ever have it all figured out,” he said.

Young, who famously took a Broadway Bow at MSG’s center court after eliminating the Knicks in the 2021 playoffs, was largely ignored by the Garden crowd.

There were occasional boos but neither chants nor expletives. MSG has been more subdued and less enthusiastic this season as the team searches for identity.

Plus, Young gave them little reason to hate on Wednesday.

NOTES

Obi Toppin left the game with a sore right knee. Thibodeau said he’s thinking of playing RJ Barrett as the backup power forward if Toppin is out for an extended period …The Knicks benefitted from Atlanta’s misfortune. Early in the first quarter, Murray sprained his ankle by landing on Barrett’s foot. Murray, who torched the Knicks in the previous matchup at MSG, played just four minutes Wednesday. Barrett was assessed a flagrant foul for crowding Murray’s landing space.

()