NEW YORK — CJ McCollum’s season was nearly over before the Washington Wizards traded him to Atlanta in January as part of the deal that sent Trae Young elsewhere.
Now McCollum has not only filled Young’s roster spot with the Hawks, but he’s also stepped into his role as the player New York fans love to hate at Madison Square Garden — delivering a crushing playoff defeat to the Knicks.
“I ain’t no villain,” McCollum said. “I’m a nice guy with two kids and a wife.”
The experienced guard put up 32 points Monday evening as Atlanta mounted a remarkable comeback for a shocking 107-106 win that evened their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at one victory each.
Garden spectators hurled profanity at him following a heated confrontation with Jose Alvarado that resulted in technical fouls for both players during the third quarter, echoing the treatment Young received during a 2021 first-round matchup. Like Young did in the opening game of that series when he became New York’s primary target, McCollum delivered crucial plays down the stretch that silenced the hostile crowd.
“I love it. I love it. That’s why we play the game,” McCollum said. “It’s fun being in opposing arenas and when the buzzer sounds and it’s quiet and you walk off the court, I think there’s a level of mutual respect.”
After Atlanta chose to part ways with their long-time star point guard, head coach Quin Snyder recognized that McCollum could serve as a veteran presence for their youthful roster. Snyder also understood the 34-year-old could provide some of the offensive production Young had brought to the team.
“Yeah, I felt like we needed both, you know?” Snyder said. “Being in the West for a while, I’ve watched him do that when he was in Portland.”
McCollum’s journey continued to New Orleans before the Pelicans shipped him to Washington last July. The subsequent trade to Atlanta became what McCollum described as his “light at the end of the tunnel.”
“I’m just thankful to be able to play in the playoffs on a good team in a good situation,” McCollum said. “I think you take the journey for what it is in stride and just hope for the best. And I think when you do things the right way you get rewarded at the end of the tunnel, and my reward is playing the Knicks in the Garden.”
He dominated his matchup with Jalen Brunson, actively seeking one-on-one opportunities against the Knicks All-Star, and sank the decisive basket — a jump shot with 33 seconds left on the clock.
McCollum nearly gave New York a chance to steal the victory when he missed both free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining, but Mikal Bridges couldn’t connect on his potential game-winner. The Knicks must now capture at least one road victory in Atlanta while finding a way to contain McCollum’s hot shooting.
“CJ hit a couple big buckets late. He hit his and we missed ours and you give a guy like CJ a lot of credit,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “That’s what those guys are supposed to do and he got it done.”
