Karl-Anthony Towns made his second appearance for the New York Knicks on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau gave him extended minutes in his debut on Sunday versus the Charlotte Hornets to fast-track his chemistry with Jalen Brunson. Unlike his first game in Knicks uniform, “KAT” had a slow start versus the Wizards.
The former Minnesota Timberwolves star missed all his six shots in the first quarter, making one free-throw attempt for his contribution. Towns’ performance improved in the second quarter. He had four points and handed out a couple of assists. Knicks fans, though, were uneasy with his rough shooting.
Karl-Anthony Towns finally gave the New York Knicks faithful what they had looked for starting the third quarterr. He had 16 points, five rebounds, two on the offensive glass, and one block. “KAT” also hit two 7-of-8 free throws. Towns’ tip-in with 3.1 seconds gave the hosts an 86-59 advantage. The All-Star center received a standing ovation as he headed to the bench.
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Tom Thibodeau obliged the wildly cheering fans and gave Towns another run to start the fourth quarter. The center hit a 12-footer before Thibodeau took him out for good with 10:57 to go.
Karl-Anthony Towns stats vs Washington Wizards:
Jalen Brunson kept feeding Karl-Anthony Towns the ball even when All-Star big man struggled
In the New York Knicks’ home preseason debut, captain Jalen Brunson wanted to show off the team’s shiniest off-season acquisition. The lefty guard was content to orchestrate for his teammates, particularly Karl-Anthony Towns. Brunson took 10 shots, making seven, including 2-for-4 from deep.
Even when “KAT” kept misfiring, Brunson did not hesitate to pass him the ball. Towns finished the night making 7-of-20 attempts, including 1-for-7 from behind the arc. The star point guard's decision to keep feeding Towns the ball eventually paid off. Towns' third-quarter explosion was key in the Knicks' 117-94 win.
Towns isn't the Knicks' only option on offense. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart have proven they can contribute under Thibodeau’s offense. Mikal Bridges hasn’t been featured as much, though. It remains to be seen if the Knicks keep going to Towns if “KAT” has a rough shooting night.
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