Karl-Anthony Towns Addresses Early Struggles in Knicks Debut

The New York Knicks picked up a 117-94 win in their first preseason game at Madison Square Garden against the Washington Wizards, but it wasn’t the perfect start for Karl-Anthony Towns in his home debut.

Towns made just one of his first seven shots, but he recovered nicely, making six of his final 13 to finish with 25 points on 7 of 20 shooting from the field. He also added 12 rebounds to record a double-double in the win.

Even though he struggled to start the game, Towns said he is happy that the game went the way it did.

“There are going to be tough nights when I’m just not shooting well, especially at The Garden. And obviously the pressure is different,” Towns said postgame via SNY. “Show mental toughness to the fans and to your teammates even when things aren’t going well.”

Preseason is all about making mistakes and learning how to fix them, which is what Towns was able to do against the Wizards. With low stakes going into the game, Towns was able to recover nicely and come away with a positive effort.

As the stakes grow, Towns will have to come back to a night like this where things may not have gone the way he envisioned, but he was able to get back to his game due to his mental toughness.

Playing in New York is a completely different experience than Minnesota, and even though he grew up as a fan of the team, nothing can simulate or prepare for the experience of being on a contending Knicks team.

The pressure will continue to rise as the season rolls along, and Towns has to be ready for every punch that’s coming his way both on and off the court if the Knicks are going to remain as one of the league’s top contenders.

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