Knicks Edge Sixers Behind Brunson’s Brilliance, But Towns’ Foul Trouble Raises Familiar Questions
The New York Knicks walked out of Wells Fargo Center with a 112-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night - a gritty, grind-it-out kind of victory that felt like a throwback to last year’s playoff run. But while the win was a step forward, it also reopened a familiar conversation about how the team balances its star power when the stakes rise.
Let’s start with the good: Jalen Brunson continues to be the steady hand guiding this team through tight games and tougher stretches. He dropped 31 points, knocked down six threes on 12 attempts, and added six assists and five rebounds for good measure.
This wasn’t just another strong performance - it was a tone-setting effort on the road against a top-tier Eastern Conference opponent. When the Knicks needed someone to manage the moment, Brunson delivered.
But this win wasn’t just about shot-making. The Knicks moved the ball with purpose, tallying 27 assists on 41 made field goals. That kind of ball movement has been a calling card for their best stretches this season, and it showed up when they needed it most.
Defensively, they made life tougher for Tyrese Maxey than in previous matchups. Maxey had torched the Knicks for 30 and 36 points in their first two meetings this season, hitting six threes in each.
On Saturday, he was held to 22 points on just 15 shot attempts. Slowing him down was a major key, especially with Joel Embiid doing his usual damage - 38 points on 13-of-21 shooting for his fourth straight 30-point game.
But the real story here might be what happened - or didn’t happen - with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns was limited to just 16 minutes, a number driven less by his recent back spasms and more by foul trouble that’s becoming a recurring issue. He picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, his fifth within the first minute of the fourth, and was ultimately disqualified with his sixth foul with just over five minutes to play. By then, the Knicks’ lead - once as high as 17 - had shrunk to six.
And yet, when Towns hit the bench for good, the Knicks stabilized. They absorbed a Sixers push, leaned on their defense and ball movement, and managed to hold off Philly down the stretch.
It’s a pattern Knicks fans have seen before. Last postseason, when the Pacers jumped out to a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, then-coach Tom Thibodeau responded by staggering his rotations, keeping Brunson and Towns apart more often. That adjustment helped the Knicks claw their way back into the series before Indiana eventually closed it out in six.
Now, Mike Brown - in his first season at the helm - appears to be drawing from that same playbook. His decision to sit Towns during key stretches against Philadelphia wasn’t just about foul trouble.
It was about rhythm, spacing, and trust in the group that was getting stops and scoring consistently. And it worked.
Mitchell Robinson deserves a lot of credit for anchoring that effort. He finished with six points, 10 rebounds (including six offensive boards), two blocks, and two steals in 27 minutes - and was a team-best +14. His activity around the rim gave the Knicks second-chance opportunities and helped neutralize some of the Sixers’ size advantage.
The contrast between Robinson’s impact and Towns’ struggles was stark. Towns finished with 10 points on 2-of-4 shooting, but the Knicks were outscored by six in his limited minutes.
And this wasn’t a one-off - Towns has picked up four or more fouls in seven of his last eight games. He’s now among the league’s top five in total fouls, a list typically reserved for bruising defenders, not stretch bigs.
That puts Mike Brown in a tough spot. For the second straight season, a Knicks head coach is having to make hard choices about how to use Towns in high-leverage minutes. And for the second straight time, the decision to lean away from him when it matters most is paying off.
It’s also raising questions with the trade deadline looming on February 5.
Towns is on a $54 million contract - a number that, financially, puts him in the same tier as names like Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s not to say a move is imminent, or even likely, but it’s impossible to ignore how Towns’ role is evolving - or shrinking - in games that matter.
And he wasn’t the only high-profile name on the bench late in this one.
Mikal Bridges, acquired in a blockbuster deal that cost the Knicks five first-round picks, had a rough night in his return to Philadelphia, where he starred at Villanova. He shot just 3-of-16 from the field, including 1-of-9 from three, and finished with nine points. It was the kind of off-night that happens to even the best two-way wings, but it’s worth noting given the investment the Knicks made to bring him in.
Still, the Knicks found a way. They leaned on Brunson’s leadership, Robinson’s effort, and a collective defensive focus to gut out a win against a top Eastern Conference contender. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a win that showed growth - both in the coaching decisions and the team’s ability to adapt on the fly.
As the Knicks gear up for a tough stretch around the All-Star break, they’ll need to keep figuring out how to get the most out of their stars - and when to ride the hot hand, even if it means making some uncomfortable calls.