It will be tough to find a finer performance in the league for a center than Karl-Anthony Towns last night. The New York Knicks star center put up 40 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. This is the first time in Knicks’ franchise history that someone has posted such a statline. Towns is proving to be the Knicks’ X-factor on offense.
New York traveled to Indiana last night to face the team that beat them in the playoffs last year. At the same time, they were smarting up from their humbling at the hands of the Celtics. The ascending Pacers were likely the last team the Knicks wanted to face, but they came together to put together a statement win 128-115. One was almost exclusively earned through the incredible performances of Towns and Josh Hart. The relentless Hart continues to make the case that he might have been snubbed of an All-Star spot. Yet the star of the show was Towns.
Karl-Anthony Towns is Proving to be the Knicks X-Factor
Hart is the “heart” of this team, pun intended. Hart leads all guards with 9.6 rebounds per game. He was a warrior on the offensive glass against the Pacers, and he saw the mismatch in the paint to put up 30 points and 10 rebounds. If he’s the heart of the squad, Towns is arguably proving to be the Knicks’ X-factor. Simply put, if Towns dominates like he did last night, the Knicks are incredibly difficult to stop.
What was most impressive about last night was that it was in the absence of fellow All-Star starter Jalen Brunson. The All-Star guard had an uncharacteristically bad game, in which he was a non-factor. Brunson got into early foul trouble and only managed six inconsequential points in the first half, only two more in the second. Also, considering Mikal Bridges‘ struggles as a secondary playmaker and missing OG Anunoby, this was Towns’ ship to steer. And boy, did he steer it. Towns was in his bag, showing remarkable handles and vision, plus brutal domination in the paint on his way to his fourth 40-point game of the season.
A Glimpse At Things to Come?
Towns’ impact was incredible against the Pacers, giving glimpses into how he could be used moving forward. This was a nice matchup for Towns as the Pacers were missing Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam, and Obi Toppin aren’t threats defending the rim. Towns had the size and brawn to dominate, and he did on the way to 40 points.
Towns didn’t live in the perimeter during this game; I want to see Towns in a position where he can use his immense power and skill set down low more often. He has outstanding shooting range, but at times, he can get too perimeter-focused, and mixing up his scoring attack can boost the Knicks’ offense. I’d like to see him attack mismatches more often to give teams another thing to worry about.
If Tom Thibodeau could design some plays around Towns, perhaps having his teammates set flair screens to allow him to go downhill, this could be a glimpse at how to use him in the future. He’s bigger and stronger than most players in the league. Last night was the perfect example. Another area he’s underrated in is his playmaking. With Brunson sidelined for much of the Pacers’ games, Towns put in some sublime passes on the way to five assists. Something not normally talked about in his game. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come.
Towns Puts On A Show
This is what Karl-Anthony Towns means to the Knicks…watch both possessions pic.twitter.com/bQtaHBTJns
— Alex B. (@KnicksCentral) February 12, 2025
These two possessions above showed his skillset as mentioned. We saw him take Thomas Bryant baseline in one action, driving off the dribble along the baseline and jamming ferociously over Bryant in a vicious dunk. Not content with that, Towns then collected a steal in transition and looked like prime Stephon Marbury as he faked a behind-the-back pass, selling the defender, and firing a no-look pass to Hart for the layup. Playing like a man possessed in the Pacers game, Towns went 14-23 from the field.
Towns has his well-documented struggles on the defensive end, but he is proving to be one of the league’s best offensive players. Regardless, the Knicks will be wise to pair him with a rim protector like Mitchell Robinson after the All-Star break. But only Nikola Jokic tops him for production in the NBA. Towns is second in the NBA in rebounds, and his 24.3 points per game is second amongst qualified centers, behind Jokic.
Towns’ game against the Pacers shows us how he can raise the Knicks’ overall ceiling. The Knicks now have a look into ways to use him for the rest of the season. If the Knicks can consistently get him and Brunson on the same page by further improving their court spacing and their deadly pick-and-roll partnership, they will be tough to stop moving forward.
Photo credit: © Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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