In 2021, Karl-Anthony Towns gave a confident proclamation.
“I’m the greatest big man shooter of all-time,” said Towns, who at the time was eight weeks into his seventh NBA campaign. Towns would go on to shoot 53 percent and 41 percent from 3-point range, and average 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on the way to his third all-star selection. Last season, Towns (21.8/8.3) was voted to his fourth all-star game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves decided to shake things up over the summer, dealing Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Dante DiVincenzo. Reunited with his old coach Tom Thibodeau to give Jalen Brunson a sidekick, Towns has made New York his own, overtaking Brunson as the Knickerbockers’ top player and putting together a career-year and MVP type season in ‘24-‘25.
On Thursday, Towns had his best game of the season back where it all started for him in Minnesota.
The game was not particularly close, with the Knicks outscoring Minnesota 41-18 in the second quarter on their way to the 133-107 win.
Towns put up 19 points in the second quarter alone, finishing with 30 points, 20 rebounds (17 defensive), and 6 assists, making all five of his attempts from downtown, 7-of-9 from the line and 10-of-12 from the field. In his effort, Towns became the first player in league history to have a game of 30 points and 20 rebounds on 80 percent from the field with five triples. He also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to have 30/20 games in their first game against their former team, and he joined Demarcus Cousins, Raef LaFrentz, and Bill Laimbeer as the only players to record 30/20 with five threes. Towns made some Knicks’ history as well, joining Willis Reed as the only players in franchise history to have a 30/20 game on at least 80 percent from the field.
Mikal Bridges added 29/6/6 for the Knicks on 12-for-18 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range, as the Knicks improved to 17-10 on Thursday night. The Timberwolves, 14-12, were led by the former Knick Randle’s 24 points and 5 rebounds.
The story though is Towns, whose 25.0 points per game (54/46/84) is 0.1 off of his second season average of 25.1 and 1.5 points off his career-high 26.5 point average in 2019-2020. His 14.2 rebounds per game (leading the NBA this season) are his best effort in that category since 12.4 in 2018-2019.
Last season, the Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. While the Knicks did outrebound the Pacers (40.6-38.4), Brunson shot 32 percent from downtown in the series, and Mitchell Robinson missed the last six games of the series. Josh Hart’s 10.9 rebounds led the team, while Isaiah Hartenstein averaged 9.0.
On July 6, Hartenstein signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaving a big man void in the Big Apple. That is where Towns enters the fold, dealt to the Knicks on October 2.
In just his fourth game as a Knick, KAT had 44 points and 13 rebounds. Three games later he began a mini streak of three games with 30-plus (34, 32, 30) and put up his season-high 46 (10 rebounds, 18-30, 6-12, 4-8) on November 13 against the Chicago Bulls.
He has posted 13 games of at least 15 rebounds, and preceding his effort on Thursday were games of 22/22/5, 19/19/5, and 24/15/6.
His 44 points and 13 rebounds on October 30 came against the Miami Heat, who have been a perennial playoff team. A game of 34 and 16 against the Atlanta Hawks who have also been in the playoff mix in recent years and who are this season one of the surprise teams and who boast a quality big man duo of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu. 34 and 10 against the Phoenix Suns. 30 and 15 (12-for-15) against Nikola Jokic (22-7-7, 9-for-20).
While Jokic puts up 31.0/12.9/9.8 for the currently 14-11 Nuggets, he is thought to be the front-runner to win his fourth MVP award. What Jokic is doing is historic. The label of the best player in the NBA no doubt belongs to him.
Towns has seemed to shift the culture in New York. Always a tough city and always a gritty city, you have to play a certain way, with toughness, with attitude, if you want to succeed in New York and endear yourself to the fans.
In Toronto on December 9, Towns (24/15/6) caught a pass from OG Anunoby at the top of the arc, and promptly drilled the triple with 6.3 seconds left to give the Knicks the 113-108 lead. After the play, Towns motioned to the “NEW YORK” across his chest and had words for the home crowd.
It was the type of play that the star in New York is supposed to make, the reaction reflecting the type of attitude that a Knick player is supposed to have.
Unafraid. Clutch. And I’m going to tell you about it.
In New York in season’s past, specifically in the last three seasons, the onus has been on Brunson in the clutch, the lone Knick star (Randle is a very good player but not a creator or shooter the level of Towns) relied on in big moments, especially last season with Randle playing just 46 games and out of action from January 27th on.
Now, the Knicks have another guy to go to in the clutch. Someone who can go up against Jokic and the Joel Embiid’s, someone who can go up against Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in a hypothetical playoff matchup. Someone who can go up against Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Was giving up Randle and DiVincenzo a strange move? A lateral move? How much better does it make the Knicks? Does the incoming star fit the New York identity? Will he able to lead? Carry?
Those were the questions. The answers are his name is Karl-Anthony Towns, and right now he is the league’s MVP.
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