UNDATED (AP) — Trae Young had 45 points and eight assists in his first game at Madison Square Garden since last season’s playoffs, leading a late surge that gave the Atlanta Hawks a 117-111 victory over the New York Knicks. Picking up right where he left off last spring, Young made seven 3-pointers, including one that tied the game at 105 with 2:54 to play.
In other NBA action:
—Nikola Jokic bounced back from a rare bad shooting performance, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 127-115 win over the fading Los Angeles Clippers. Jokic scored 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting 48 hours after he missed 15 shots in a home loss to the Boston Celtics. The Nuggets snapped a two-game skid and sent the Clippers to their fourth consecutive loss. The Clippers have lost seven of their last nine games.
—Franz Wagner made three free throws with 12.2 seconds remaining and dunked on an inbounds play for the final points, leading the Orlando Magic to a 94-90 win over the Golden State Warriors. With the Warriors’ loss, the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns (58-14) clinched first place in the Pacific Division. The Warriors shot 40% for the game and had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter on the way to their third straight loss.
