Worried about Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury, Stephen A. Smith makes grim Knicks’ Game 6 prediction

Worried about Karl-Anthony Towns, Stephen A. Smith gives the New York Knicks a 30% chance of winning Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks won Game 5 off the back of solid performances from Towns and Jalen Brunson.

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Brunson finished with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists, en route to a 111-94 win. Despite New York’s dominant showing in Game 5, Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe they’re favorites to win Game 6.

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Speaking on Thursday’s episode of "First Take," Smith expressed concern for Towns while giving the Knicks a 30% chance to win on Saturday:

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“That's why I get mad when I'm listening to folks talk on the air and they're like, he's not getting back on defense. Yo, y'all, the brother is limping. He's been gimpy for three or four games. Okay. It's a man we didn't expect to see him out there last night, let alone for him to be out there and to play all 12 minutes in the first quarter.

“If I'm gonna look at Game 6 and tell you New York has a better than 25 to 30.”

Karl-Anthony Towns has taken a big step forward in the playoffs this year

Last season, Karl-Anthony Towns made the Western Conference finals with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves were eliminated at the hands of Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks. Towns recorded 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 5 games against the Mavericks.

The Minnesota crowd blamed KAT for their loss against Dallas, and he was subjected to much criticism. As a result, the Timberwolves traded Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle.

This season has been completely different for Towns as he has been one of New York’s best players in the conference finals. He has recorded 25.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in five games against the Pacers and is a huge reason behind the Knicks’ win in Game 5.

If Towns can lead New York to the Finals, the Julius Randle trade will be looked at in a completely different light. Especially since the Timberwolves were eliminated in the conference finals this year.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by John Maxwell