It took three full quarters of sloppy play for the Knicks to exert expected dominance over the Kings on Tuesday night, and a huge 31-point fourth quarter that lifted them to a 103-87 home win was sparked by a pair of timely threes from Karl-Anthony Towns in the opening minutes.
But the veteran center didn’t contribute to a closing 21-9 run that clinched a third straight victory for the team. Towns watched the final seven minutes of action from the bench, while a lineup featuring Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson took the floor instead.
The lack of playing time for Towns down the stretch was curious. In spite of producing 17 points against the Kings across 27 minutes, he hasn’t played more than 30 minutes in three straight games. It wasn’t a matter of discipline on Tuesday — Towns committed only two fouls.
When asked about the trend after the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown didn’t hint at any issue with Towns. He simply felt more comfortable with that rotation in a clear rhythm, causing the Kings fits.
“At the end of the game, we had a group out on the floor that was playing well,” Brown said. “It’s a tight ballgame, so I rode that group to the end of the game. We needed to get the win.”
Towns, who played 20 minutes against the Nets last Wednesday and just 16 minutes against the 76ers last Saturday, wasn’t miffed by Brown’s decision or explanation. He trusted his coach.
“[Brown] saw what he saw. We’ve got to win,” Towns said. “That’s the most important thing. That’s all I care about, New York cares about, this team cares about — is wins.”
While it’s still unclear if the Knicks will attempt to make a blockbuster trade that involves Towns as a package headliner, he hasn’t resembled a dominant force in January.
The five-time All-Star is averging just 16.6 points this month (12 games), and over his last six contests, he’s actually logged more fouls (11) than assists and blocks combined (9).
Towns’ minutes will be a topic of conversation again on Wednesday night, when the Knicks travel north of the border to face the Raptors.
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