Karl-Anthony

Towns

As the teams left the floor for halftime at the end of the first half, cameras caught Towns letting everyone know that Victor Wembanyama can’t mess with him. He continued to back up that talk in the second half with his second double-double of the series. Towns isn’t close to being dominated by Wembanyama the way the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren was in the Western Conference finals. The way he’s playing right now, he’s closer to having a legitimate chance of winning Finals MVP.

Towns’ biggest moments of Wednesday’s contest came in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in the frame while helping overcome a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 76 at the period’s end. He didn’t score in the final frame, but still concluded the game with solid numbers. The veteran center had several nice drives and finishes at the basket while being defended in isolation by Victor Wembanyama. If he can continue to hold his own in that matchup, the Knicks could find themselves in favorable positions.

Previous reports indicated that Robinson should be available, and he was able to do some individual work on Sunday. However, his official designation for the first game of the Finals is questionable. Don’t expect Mike Brown to dip deep down the depth chart for center minutes if Robinson is out. Karl-Anthony Towns will likely play a massive workload, with Ariel Hukporti giving him a few minutes to breathe when Victor Wembanyama isn’t on the floor.

Towns was efficient with 19 points on 11 attempts in Game 4 as the Knicks completed a sweep of the Cavaliers and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. Towns was +25 in 26 minutes as New York dominated from the start of the game, leading by 19 points at halftime. The Knicks will have eight full days off before the NBA Finals, where they’ll face the winner of the Western Conference finals.

Towns came out hot in Game 3, scoring 11 of the Knicks’ 37 first-quarter points. He would only score three more points the rest of the way, but the ability to facilitate for others was once again on display. Towns recorded a team-high seven assists in Game 3, and he was also responsible for eight rebounds and three steals. While Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have put up decent numbers, Towns has been the best post player in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks will look to complete the sweep with a win in Game 4 on Monday.

After a modest scoring effort in Game 1, Towns was a bit better in Thursday’s Game 2 victory. He hasn’t been able to facilitate as much as he did in the first two playoff series, but KAT has been dominant on the glass against the Cavaliers. Through two games, Towns has 26 rebounds, and unlike Game 1, he kept the turnovers in check on Thursday. The Knicks center did not commit any after coughing up the ball seven times in Game 1. Game 3 is on Saturday in Cleveland, with New York looking to take a 3-0 lead.

Karl-Anthony Towns notched his seventh double-double of the postseason on Tuesday in his 40 minutes of game action. Yet, his numbers weren’t spectacular. Towns struggled from behind the three-point line, and his seven turnovers are notable. Still, he was part of a Knicks unit that overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to push the team to a Game 1 win. Towns has had a productive postseason and will have a chance to add to it in Game 2.

Since Game 4 of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Hawks, the team has run more of its offense through Towns. New York has not lost since, and KAT has recorded at least six assists in each of the seven victories. Foul trouble limited him to 20 minutes on Sunday, but that doesn’t matter much when your team scores 43 points in the first quarter and 81 in the first half. Whether it’s Detroit or Cleveland in the conference finals, the Knicks will need Towns to do a better job of avoiding silly fouls.

For the second consecutive game, Towns got himself into early foul trouble, picking up three in the first quarter. However, the Knicks were able not only to hold serve with their starting center benched, but also to grab control of Game 3 during the second period. Mitchell Robinson (six points, six rebounds, one steal and one block) played 19 minutes off the bench, and Towns was still effective as a rebounder and playmaker when on the floor. It may not matter much for this series, but the Knicks will need Towns to avoid early foul trouble as the games grow more important.

After playing just 20 minutes in Game 1 due to foul trouble, Towns was excellent in Game 2. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. The 30-year-old center was freed up without having to deal with Joel Embiid (ankle, hip). Towns and the Knicks have a 2-0 series lead entering Friday’s Game 3.