KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS FLEXED toward the Madison Square Garden crowd following a drive that began more than 30 feet from the basket and ended with the 7-foot big man on the floor, awaiting a trip to the foul line to cap a three-point play.
Towns had bullied his way from next to the Atlanta Hawks bench, through two defenders and to the rim, extending the New York Knicks' lead to 14 points with less than seven minutes remaining in Saturday's first-round opener. The play highlighted the matchup nightmare Towns presents throughout these playoffs: a versatile stretch big who needs to be accounted for at all times.
"It gets back to efficiency, and that's a challenge for us right now," Hawks coach Quin Snyder said before the Knicks' 113-102 win on Saturday. Towns scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half, offsetting a cold-shooting night from All-Star guard Jalen Brunson.
"It's a little bit of pick your poison. How do you handle [Towns] on the post with a mismatch? How do you handle him on the pick-and-roll? ... There are times where it's good defense, better offense."
Therein lies the conundrum: With Towns and the Knicks, it's not always that simple.
Snyder came into this series well aware of Towns' exploits and success against his team. Towns' 28.5 points per game against Atlanta is his highest against any team this season, along with 63% shooting from the field and 50% from 3.
But it's a gamble Snyder is willing to take, considering how well New York plays when Towns has big scoring nights compared to others. For example, the Knicks are 23-4 this season when OG Anunoby scores 20 or more. When Towns reaches that plateau, the Knicks are 26-15. (After starting Monday's Game 2 loss eight for 10 from the field, Towns finished with 18 points as he and the Knicks squandered a 14-point lead to even the series.)
What is simple are the stakes, spoken and silent, facing Towns and the Knicks' 2026 playoff run. Under a rare but direct edict from owner James Dolan, reaching the franchise's first NBA Finals since 1999 is the expectation, not the hope.
It's that way for coach Mike Brown, who replaced Tom Thibodeau following his controversial firing in June. It's also that way for wing Mikal Bridges, who arrived two years ago in exchange for a hefty collection of draft picks.
And it's certainly that way for the 30-year-old Towns, who is always under scrutiny for simultaneously not doing enough and trying to do too much.
As the Knicks head to Atlanta for Thursday's Game 3 (7 p.m. ET, Prime), the Towns question isn't just one for opposing coaches, but seemingly the Knicks staff itself.
It's been clear that Towns, whose 13.8 shot attempts during the regular season marked a new career low while his 20.1 points per game was his fewest since his rookie year, hasn't been fully deployed in his second season with the Knicks.
How Brown and his staff maximize their All-Star center has perplexed coaches and front offices around the league all season, a theme that will be magnified as the playoffs progress.
So will the questions about Towns' fit and future -- no matter how far New York advances -- ahead of what could be an impactful offseason for multiple contenders.
"He so badly wants things to work here," a source close to Towns told ESPN. "He wants to be a Knick for life."
BROWN WAS HIRED to diversify the Knicks offense and the roster after it was believed Thibodeau ran the starters ragged, with promising playoff runs ending with key players suffering injuries. And even though Thibodeau led New York to its first conference finals since 2000, the finish against the Indiana Pacers was enough for Dolan to spearhead a change on the sidelines.
Towns, who had one of his best seasons in 2024-25 under Thibodeau, wasn't expected to be as much of a focal point in Brown's offense. There's no denying he's being used differently, as Brown wants to maximize 3-point spacing instead of routinely running Towns into the post.
"Let it fly," was a phrase Brown frequently used early on to describe his approach. The Knicks jumped from 27th in attempts last year to 12th in Brown's first season.
The questions revolve around both ends of the floor, even though Towns' elite offensive skills help offset his defensive shortcomings.
"He doesn't have the lateral athleticism to execute the [Knicks defensive schemes] for 36 minutes a night," an Eastern Conference assistant coach said.
"Neither Thibs nor Mike Brown has figured it out: how to use him when he's not great at the rim."
Towns and Brown have met throughout the season to discuss the center's changing role, according to sources familiar to the Knicks' inner workings. Towns and Brunson, meanwhile, have found improved chemistry in the past few weeks, mostly taking it upon themselves to work their two-man game.
"We made some pretty big changes through the course of the year," Brown said before the playoffs. "I don't know if I've ever gone through a season with a team as a head coach with making the changes that we've made with a group of guys."
That was interpreted as a statement toward Towns, as Brown has altered his defense to limit Towns' exposure in space, where he is more susceptible to foul trouble than before. (Towns has committed nine fouls through the first two games of the series against Atlanta.)
Towns, despite a rocky first half of the season when he shot just 35% from 3 and just under 47% from the field, rebounded after the All-Star break. Towns played some of his most efficient basketball of his career in his final 24 games, shooting nearly 58% overall and 42% from deep. Brown routinely points to Towns' attempts, second most on the Knicks behind Brunson during the regular season, but it doesn't feel like he's fully utilized.
When the Knicks blow leads or don't win in remarkable fashion, Towns' production is routinely first among postgame talking points. Monday's Game 2 collapse was no different.
"KAT's a great player. He's got to impose his will on the game," Brown said postgame. "If he was a young guy, I would need to say something to him. But as a veteran guy, I don't need to tell him to be aggressive."
"The opportunities just didn't come around to shoot it," Towns said later that night in the Knicks locker room. "At the end of the day, I trust everybody to shoot the ball. The opportunity wasn't available for me."
The Knicks' nationally televised win over the Golden State Warriors on March 15 felt like another microcosm. None of the Warriors regulars were active, the most accomplished threat being guard Brandin Podziemski. And yet, the Warriors led by 21 points in the second quarter. A furious comeback featured Towns scoring 13 of his 17 points after halftime as the Knicks survived 110-107.
Despite the win being the Knicks' third of a seven-game streak, Brown was annoyed. Towns, meanwhile, said the Knicks were "playing with fire," needing such a rally against an undermanned opponent.
There was the first game after the All-Star break, at the Garden against the Detroit Pistons, who had badly beaten New York twice this season. The Knicks were expected to send a message as a receipt, but another beatdown ensued, even with Pistons big men Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart sidelined.
Towns took the fewest shots of any starter before halftime and then went on a flurry to start the third quarter, scoring 12 straight points to cut into the deficit. He finished with 19, but the Pistons easily dispatched the Knicks for a 15-point win.
After the game, Brown insisted Towns was comfortable in the offense and said they would continue to explore ways to create opportunities.
"Our offense is our offense. It's been that way all year," Towns said. "We have our system. Regardless of who's in the game or not in the game, we run the system we've implemented."
The numbers say Towns is getting as many touches this season as last. Per 100 possessions, he's getting 82.9 touches this year compared to 82.1 last season, according to GeniusIQ tracking. He's shooting slightly less, with 21.9 attempts per 100 possessions. Last year, it was 23.5.
"On the periphery you always get the sense KAT is on the decline," an assistant coach who has scouted the Knicks said. "The team numbers from last season to this season, much to my surprise they are almost identical."
Like everything in this Knicks season, the overall numbers say one thing and the feelings suggest something different. Towns finished with one game of fewer than double figures last year, and this year that number has ballooned to five.
Brown's theme to the team this season has been about making sacrifices, so Towns isn't the only Knicks star who believes he can do more. Josh Hart led the NBA in minutes last season (37.6 per game), and early in the season he dealt with fourth-quarter benchings and has seen his minutes cut to 30.2. Anunoby is playing three fewer minutes. Brunson's production, meanwhile, is relatively flat from last year.
But despite bouts of sloppiness and early growing pains, the Knicks entered the postseason as the East's second-ranked offense behind the Boston Celtics, their second-round matchup should both teams advance.
"If KAT plays at the highest level, the Knicks are as good as any team in the league," a Western Conference team executive said. "But he doesn't bring it every night. I'm not talking about the scoring part. The intensity defensively, the interior presence. I can't deny his talent. He's a special talent."
Executives around the league believe Towns would be the key to the Knicks chances to topple the conference favorites. If they can't, many front office members around the league also believe New York will survey the market for Towns trades this summer.
IS TOWNS' GAME in decline or is he just being underutilized? Is Towns a Knick for life or a placeholder for the next star angling to play at Madison Square Garden? There has always been smoke around Towns and his future with the Knicks. And this summer, expect it to billow.
"People say a lot, but I know this: Dolan loves Towns," a league executive said.
The Knicks did have a chance to extend Towns before the start of 2025-26 but opted to wait. Towns, according to sources, wanted a new deal but didn't expect one to come this season.
With two years remaining on his contract -- $57.7 million in 2026-27 with a $61 million player option for 2027-28, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks -- Towns would be the franchise's biggest trade chip, salary-wise, if the Knicks chose to chase a superstar such as Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On the floor, Towns has played in the past two conference finals, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves and then the Knicks dethrone favored defending champions in the second round -- the Denver Nuggets in 2024 and Boston last season. Making it that far isn't even the bare minimum this time around, going back to Dolan's demand.
The Knicks have to get to the Finals, or it feels like massive changes could be in order.
Last summer, the Bucks and Knicks entered into an exclusive negotiating period centered around Antetokounmpo, league sources told ESPN's Shams Charania in October. With the tumultuous season Milwaukee had this year, many around the league foresee more exploration of the two-time MVPs future, especially because he can sign an extension in the fall.
Towns has been traded before -- on the eve of training camp, no less -- and he's well aware of the rumors surrounding his future. In Minnesota, he didn't get a chance to help the Timberwolves build on their surprising conference finals appearance after surviving regime changes and a revolving door of teammates and coaches.
Knowing his future in New York could very well be decided by the next six weeks of playoff basketball, Towns has an opportunity to reshape it -- and the seasonslong narrative surrounding his fit with the Knicks.
"If they come up short, if they don't make the Finals -- aside from Bridges, because he was traded for all the draft picks -- Towns will take the most heat because of his résumé," a high-ranking rival team executive said. "Because Brunson won't take the heat and they'll say Towns didn't deliver.
"Especially with Giannis sitting out there."
