Knicks Win Again, But Karl-Anthony Towns Remains a Puzzle
The New York Knicks are back in the win column, riding a three-game streak that includes a gritty win over the Philadelphia 76ers and a less-than-pretty 103-87 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. But while the results are trending up, there’s a glaring subplot that’s becoming harder to ignore: the Knicks are closing games better without Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor.
Let’s be clear - Towns wasn’t awful. He finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.
But he shot just 5-of-15 from the field and posted a team-worst minus-3. And when the game was on the line, head coach Mike Brown turned to a different group - one that didn’t include the five-time All-Star.
With 6:51 left in the fourth quarter and the Knicks clinging to a four-point lead, Brown subbed out Towns and rolled with a lineup of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson. That group slammed the door shut on Sacramento with a 21-9 run to end the game, fueled by suffocating defense and timely offense.
Towns, to his credit, handled the benching like a pro.
“(Mike Brown) saw what he saw,” Towns said postgame. “We’ve got to win.
That’s the most important thing. That’s all I care about, New York cares about, this team cares about - is wins.”
No doubt. But if the Knicks are going to be a legitimate title contender - and that’s the expectation inside the building - they need more from Towns. Or they need to find someone else who fits better.
A Misfiring Star
Towns has struggled to find his rhythm all season under Brown. His efficiency numbers are down across the board.
The Knicks knew they weren’t trading for a defensive anchor when they acquired him last offseason - that’s never been his calling card - but they expected elite scoring and floor spacing. So far, that version of Towns has been missing in action.
The idea was simple: pair Towns’ offensive skill set with Brunson’s playmaking and create a pick-your-poison attack. But the execution has been clunky. Whether it’s a matter of fit, confidence, or system, Towns hasn’t consistently delivered the kind of offensive punch that justifies keeping him on the floor late in games - especially when his defense can be a liability.
The Closing Lineup That Worked
The group that closed Tuesday’s win - Brunson, McBride, Bridges, Anunoby, Robinson - isn’t flashy, but it works. It’s a unit built on defense, versatility, and a clear offensive hierarchy. Brunson handles the scoring load while the others play off him, defend their tails off, and make smart, simple plays.
That five-man group had only logged a little over 20 minutes together before Tuesday night but already carried a net rating of 23.7. Swap McBride for Josh Hart, and the lineup has a net rating of 26.6 in 27 minutes.
Small sample sizes, yes. But the early returns are promising - and more importantly, the eye test backs it up.
This is the kind of lineup that allows Brunson to thrive. He’s the engine, and when he’s surrounded by four capable defenders who don’t need the ball to be effective, the Knicks look like a team that knows exactly who they are.
Brunson led the way again with 28 points, while Bridges added 18 points and 5 assists. Anunoby chipped in 15, and Robinson was a force on the glass with 13 rebounds and two steals. Even Hart, coming off the bench, filled up the box score with 7 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
A Ticking Clock
The Knicks are built to win now. After last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, expectations are sky-high - internally and externally.
The front office didn’t trade for Towns to be a complementary piece. They saw him as the final puzzle piece.
But so far, the fit has been anything but seamless.
Coach Brown acknowledged the decision to ride the closing lineup was a feel thing.
“During the flow of the game, you find a group of players that you feel are playing well together, and you roll with it as long as you can,” Brown said. “It was a tight ballgame, so I just rolled with that group until the end of the game.
I’ve done that before. … We needed to get the win.”
And that’s the dilemma. The Knicks need wins - but they also need to figure out what to do with Towns. With the trade deadline approaching, the front office has to weigh the risk of disrupting a core that made a deep playoff run last year against the reality that something just isn’t clicking.
Maybe Towns finds his groove and this stretch becomes a footnote in a long season. Maybe he adapts to the system, starts hitting shots, and becomes the offensive weapon New York envisioned. But right now, that version of Towns feels like more hope than certainty.
And when you're chasing a championship, hope isn't a strategy.