The moment we remember is Trae Young dribbling off the clock near center court at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night while mimicking rolling dice and picking up cash.

But what mattered to the Knicks wasn’t that he could do that at home, but what came before.

Young can’t celebrate the Hawks’ trip to Las Vegas if the Knicks don’t let him do the things he did all too often at the Garden, the things that allow him to rise above his role as the villain of 34th Street be happy. But he did, taking over the game in the third quarter and scoring 22 points and 11 assists in a 108-100 win in Atlanta that knocked the Knicks out of the NBA Cup and gave them a consolation trip to Orlando for Sunday’s game.

The Knicks’ defense couldn’t stop Young (12 points, five assists) in the third quarter, nor could he stop him in the antics at the end of the game. What was concerning was that the player they gave the job to, Mikal Bridges, was supposed to be that defensive stopper.

“Every great player doesn’t need to be protected individually,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They guard them together. If it was a one-on-one game, you could say that it didn’t work, because that’s often what happens.

“Is there something big about this? Is there something small there? Is there a switch involved? Is it a lightning attack? Are we ready to get hands on? Where does the screen appear? And is he on the ball, is he on the ball? These are things that require your team to be connected and cohesive.”

Bridges himself recently said: “I have to play better. I was inconsistent. I had some games where I played well, others not. I just have to find a rhythm within the team. That’s pretty much it.”

Bridges has taken his share of blame for the Knicks’ failure to get on track after entering the season with high expectations.

The offense has been inconsistent, but the Knicks have had no problems on that end of the floor and are in the top three in the league in offensive rating.

But on defense, the hope was that Bridges and OG Anunoby would form a defensive wing pair that could serve as a foil to the talented offensive players the Knicks will need to shut down this season.

“I know it’s a big change for him on both sides,” Josh Hart said. “He’s been number one for the last year and a half, getting 20, 25, 30 play calls for you, being the third, fourth option and not getting any play calls. It takes an adjustment process. Not just being in a new place physically, but mentally too. It takes a bit of time to find your rhythm offensively. And we have to continue to find him when he’s open and let him play.

“Defensively we sometimes give him seemingly impossible tasks. He doesn’t shy away from it. So we have to help him on both sides because he does what we ask of him.

“Sometimes I can help him out a little bit on defense and be the point of attack defender and guard the ball and kind of get him off the ball and let him run around and play in the passing lanes and block shots and do those kinds of things.

“He adapts. It takes a second. On both sides he is asked to sacrifice a lot and do a lot.”

What accompanies most criticism of Bridges is the price the Knicks paid for him — five first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and a second-round pick, a haul that the Knicks had held on to for years for a star.

Earlier this season, Hart shrugged and talked about five 12th graders.

And it won’t hurt if two things happen: The picks are late first-rounders because the Knicks are good – and the Knicks get the title that has eluded them for more than 50 years.

Trading time?

The NBA trade market really opens up on Sunday with the December 15th date, when 85 free agents signed in the offseason can be traded. (Miami and Indiana have already gotten off to an early start with a deal that sends Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, which cannot be officially completed by this date.)

The trade deadline is February 6th, but one constant in the Knicks’ front office is moving that date forward.

The problem this time is that they’re dangerously close to the second apron – they’re still about $500,000 away – and don’t have many assets. But that doesn’t mean they won’t look.

Mitchell Robinson remains their most intriguing piece as he continues to recover from ankle surgery. With the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns, Robinson became a luxury item, a defensive player who could serve as a backup or partner for Towns (if he gets healthy).

The Knicks protected him and gave him much more time than expected. It was either to ensure his health or to protect her assets.

The court battle continues

The feud between the Knicks and the Toronto Raptors that has been simmering since August 2023 – centered on the Raptors’ hiring of video coordinator Ike Azotam and his sharing of the Knicks’ proprietary scouting materials – has taken another turn.

New York courts sent the case back to the NBA in June with the intent of settling it under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. The Knicks and Raptors sent a joint letter to the court on Friday saying no progress had been made.

A spokesperson for MSG Sports said in a statement: “We have been awaiting guidance from the NBA on next steps in this matter for months – proving our position that the NBA is unable to adequately and adequately address this grand theft of property and property to treat confidential files fairly. Unfortunately, due to the apparent conflict of interest between the commissioner and the chairman of the NBA, there has been complete silence from the league.”

Larry Tanenbaum, the NBA chairman, is chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, owner of the Raptors, and is close to commissioner Adam Silver.