Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t sweating the minutes. The Knicks’ All-Star big man has seen his playing time dip for the third straight game - all wins - but he’s not making it about himself.
“He saw what he saw. We got a win.
That’s the most important thing,” Towns said after logging just 27 minutes in New York’s 103-87 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. It was the fewest minutes of any Knicks starter, and once again, Towns found himself on the bench during crunch time.
Still, his message was clear: team over everything. “That’s all I care about.
That’s all this team cares about - is the win.”
And the Knicks are doing just that - winning. Towns was subbed out with 6:51 left in the fourth quarter and never returned, watching from the sideline as New York turned a four-point lead into a comfortable 16-point victory.
It’s the second game in a row he’s sat out the closing stretch, and while that might raise eyebrows, it hasn’t raised his voice. He’s sticking to the script: trust the process, trust the coach, trust the win.
Head coach Mike Brown rolled with a closing lineup of Jalen Brunson, Miles “Deuce” McBride, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson - leaving both Towns and Josh Hart on the bench. That five-man unit has only shared the floor for 23 minutes this season, but the early returns are eye-popping: a +26.4 net rating per 100 possessions. That’s not just good - that’s elite.
Brown explained the decision like a coach who’s been here before. “We had a group out on the floor that’s playing well, and it’s a tight ball game, so I just rode that group to the end,” he said.
“We had Deuce out there, who’s not a starter, and Mitch out there, who’s not a starter. So again, we need to get the win.”
Brown also pointed to the schedule - the Knicks are in the middle of a back-to-back, with a game against the Raptors looming on Wednesday. Mikal Bridges logged 37 minutes, but the rest of the rotation was kept in check. Towns, in particular, may benefit from the lighter load, especially considering recent foul trouble has played a role in limiting his minutes down the stretch.
Still, the trend is hard to ignore. Over the last three games - all wins - Towns has played fewer minutes than usual, including just 36 combined minutes in victories over the Nets and Sixers. Against Sacramento, he still made his presence felt with 17 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes, showing he can still produce even in a reduced role.
The Knicks are navigating a delicate balance - keeping their stars fresh, riding hot hands, and finding the right mix down the stretch. For now, Towns is buying in. The minutes may be down, but the wins are piling up - and that’s a tradeoff he seems more than willing to make.