Much Needed Win

In the NBA’s 79-year history, we've never seen anything like the 2024-25 Knicks version of KAT…

Final Score: Knicks 112 - Raps 98
Record: 25-13

It wasn’t the season's prettiest or most impressive victory, but when a team is riding a three-game losing streak, getting back in the win column is crucial.

However, early on in Wednesday’s matchup with the Raptors, there were troublesome signs that had Knicks fans nervous.

After missing Monday’s loss to the Magic with what the team termed right patellar tendinopathy, Karl-Anthony Towns was cleared to play against Toronto but was not moving well in the first few minutes of the first quarter. He was lumbering up and down the floor with a slight limp and was often seen wincing in apparent pain while adjusting the brace on his right knee.

However, after checking back into the contest in the second quarter, KAT looked more confident and steady on his feet. He poured in 11 points in the final ten minutes of the first half, converting all three of his FG attempts and all four free throws.

The second half featured much of the same, as the lowly Raps had no answer for the Knicks' dominant behemoth. Despite playing in a bum wheel, Towns put New York on his broad back and carried them to victory, finishing the contest with 27 points (9-of-14 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), 13 rebounds, two assists, three steals, two blocks, and three 3-pointers in 34 minutes.

When the Knicks acquired KAT this offseason, the hope was that he’d settle into his role as a complementary star alongside the team’s best player and offensive fulcrum, Jalen Brunson. Shockingly, it could be argued that Towns has been NY’s MVP over the first three months of the 2024-25 campaign.

Over the last month, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 116 points with KAT on the court. They have been outscored by eight points with KAT on the bench.

On the season, KAT is averaging 25.3 points, a league-leading 14.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.2 three-pointers and 1.0 steals while shooting over 55% from the floor, 45% from downtown and 83% from the free-throw stripe.

Per Basketball Reference, Towns is just the fourth player in NBA history to average 25+ points and 14+ rebounds over the first 35 games of his season, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

That stat, in and of itself, is remarkable, but when you also factor in KAT’s efficiency and ability to stretch the floor by knocking down three-pointers… Towns is just the third player in NBA history to average over 25 points and 2.0 made three-pointers over the first 35 games of a season while shooting at least 45% from 3PT territory. The other two players in this club are Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.

So, to sum it up, KAT is dominating the glass like prime Shaq, Moses and Kareem while scoring and shooting from behind the arc like KD and Steph.

That seems pretty good.

The other Knick worthy of plenty of praise in Wednesday’s win was OG Anunoby.