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NEW YORK (AP) – The nervous Knicks have missed their first nine shots and just need someone to make one to start.
He's turned out to be a fan.
And once he's made a half-shot, the basket is really open for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Knicks.
"I think that's perhaps the reason we've reversed the trend," said coach David Fizdale.
Hardaway scored 31 points, which resulted in the Knicks in their franchise record, 49 points in the second quarter, and New York defeated the Atlanta Hawks 126-107 on Wednesday night in his first match under Fizdale.
Hardaway scored 16 points during the period, when the Knicks tied the Hawks total points for the entire first half. New York led 72-49 at the break.
Trae Young finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists, scoring 5 of 14 points in his NBA debut. Taurean Prince scored 21 points for the Hawks, who were outflanked in their first match under Lloyd Pierce.
"Certainly, some things we have not done since the pre-season," Young said. "But it's only a game, so I'm not too worried."
Four other Knicks scored at least 15 points, including rookie Allonzo Trier, who had such a strong dunk in the third quarter that Fizdale apologized for celebrating too much. Rookie Kevin Knox finished with 10 and only 4 for 16.
Hardaway and the Knicks started slowly because he missed his first four shots and the Knicks took a 10-2 hold.
During the break, George Holmes of Northport, NY, made a half-time shot to win $ 10,000, and the New Yorkers just could not miss.
"He made this basket a little bigger for us, and I thank him," said Hardaway.
Frank Ntilikina made a 3-point lead over the time allowed for the Knicks to start on a 12-0 run, then they really took off in the second quarter.
This was especially true of Hardaway, who made his next eight shots against his former team. He lost seven points less than Patrick Ewing's franchise record for the opening night, and might have gotten closer if he needed to play more of the fourth quarter.
Young, No. 5 in the repechage and the first player to lead the country in scoring and assisting in the first season of the first year in Oklahoma, said he felt butterflies on Wednesday. He recalled that he had fired aerial bullets during his first shot in high school, college and summer league, claiming that he wished to avoid that again.
He made his first shot as a pro, a runner in the lane at the end of the first quarter. But he missed his six more shots in the first period and the Hawks were outclassed by 19 points in 17 minutes before half-time.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Pierce congratulated Steve Holman, the editor of Hawks Radio, for his work in the 2,500th game, counting the playoffs on Wednesday. Holman began his career in the team in March 1989. … Atlanta plays its first three games on the road before facing Dallas in its opening game at home next Wednesday.
Knicks: The Knicks record for each quarter is 53 points in the fourth quarter against Seattle on December 26, 1967. … The Knicks have opened at home for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
OLD-TIMER OF THE NIGHT OF OPENING
Vince Carter began his 21st season starting with the striker and scoring 12 points. Pierce said Wednesday's Hawks' research revealed that only Robert Parish was an older NBA starter at the opening night than Carter, 41. He stands out so much in a young Atlanta team that the average Hawks NBA experience goes from 3.65 years to 2.63 years old if Carter is ruled out.
FRIENDS AND FOES
Fizdale and Pierce played against each other at the university, while Fizdale was senior in San Diego during Pierce's first season for rival West Coast Conference, Santa Clara.
"Lloyd caught a lob on Steve Nash's head once," recalls Fizdale. "I still have not forgiven him for that, but we have been friends for a long time and it's obviously a great time for both of us."
FOLLOWING
Hawks: Visit Memphis on Fridays.
Knicks: Visit Brooklyn on Friday.
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More NBA AP: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
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