ATLANTA – Patrick Ewing often has been an aloof superstar, never really endearing himself to Knicks fans, who have not loved him the way they loved Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Earl The Pearl.

Knicks coach Jeff Gundy is hoping Ewing’s performance during these playoffs will go a long way to his legacy.

“You can be more appreciated outside of your area than you are within,” Van Gundy was saying last night before Game 2 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal against the Hawks. “I think that’s a general thing with Patrick. I think he’s much more, in general, appreciated outside than he is within New York.”

Ewing had a relatively quiet night in the 77-70 victory over the Hawks. He played 37 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. “We’re happy to be up 2-0, but we were up 3-1 in Miami (two years ago) and an altercation happened and we were watching it at home,” Ewing said.

Before the game, Van Gundy had praised Ewing for playing through the pain of his tender Achilles and the strained rib cage muscle. He has been on a game-to-game basis for much of the last two months and won’t be at full strength until next season.

Van Gundy praised Ewing’s courage and suggested he was underappreciated by most fans and media.

“Whenever you’re around somebody for so long, you start to focus on the one or two percent of things that are wrong, instead of the 98 percent of things that are right,” Van Gundy said. “It can become a cycle of negativity.”

Ewing presents himself as unfazed by criticism. But Van Gundy suggested that the Knicks’ franchise center has felt the darts.

“No one is going to admit that what anybody writes or what anybody says about them affects them,” Van Gundy said. “But I don’t believe that to be true.”