Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks just managed to squeeze past the Brooklyn Nets with a nail-biting 93-92 victory. The Knicks faced a Nets squad primarily made up of rookies, two-way players, and a fresh signee. Yet, Brooklyn’s defense kept the game tighter than expected.
Towns and Jalen Brunson, despite sluggish starts, found their groove just in time to fend off a late Brooklyn surge. Nets forward Josh Minott, who knows Towns well from their days in Minnesota, revealed that their game plan was to unsettle Towns with physical play.
“I played with KAT for two-and-a-half years,” Minott shared. “He’s not a fan of physicality.
I know him well, and we tried to use that to our advantage. He did start heating up in the second half, though.
He’s a talented guy, and we were determined to make it tough for him.”
Towns, after a scoreless first quarter where the Knicks managed only 14 points, found his rhythm and led the charge to secure the win. He wrapped up the night with an impressive 26 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 7-of-16 from the field and a strong 11-of-13 from the line. Minott, on the other hand, led Brooklyn with 22 points, shooting efficiently from both the field and beyond the arc.
Josh Minott says Karl-Anthony Towns “doesn’t like physicality” when asked about defending him tonight:
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 21, 2026
“I played with KAT for 2.5 years. I know him like this, and he don’t like physicality. I love KAT, but he don’t like physicality. That’s my boy, too. I hope this angers him.” pic.twitter.com/tNKGojrHpY
This season has been a rollercoaster for Towns, who’s been trying to match last year’s performance amidst the Knicks' unpredictable 2025-26 run. He’s averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds, but his shooting around the rim has been a struggle, hitting a career-low 60 percent within four feet.
As the regular season draws to a close, the Knicks are eyeing the Boston Celtics, hoping to snag the Eastern Conference's second seed. With a five-game winning streak, they’re just two games behind Boston with 12 games left to play. The race is on, and every game counts as the Knicks push for a strong finish.