Use self-destructing cookies or a plugin like it to delete the cookie everytime you close the tab and you won't run into the NYT paywall.
Alternatively, you could use a plugin like refcontrol and set your referrer on NYT as news.google.com and be in the clear if you like hanging on to cookies for some strange reason.
Really? I'd suspect it to be the other way around. For reference, here are some HN stats: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9219581 .
I wouldn't be so sure of that; considering my own pattern, even when my reading is being driven by HN, I usually do several google searches for related content, including frequently Google News searches for related news items from other sources, for each page I go to directly from HN. And not all of my reading -- even related to development/startup things -- is driven by HN.