Knicks Get Early Playoff-Like Look at Karl-Anthony Towns

The New York Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves for a reason.

Towns, 29, was acquired by the Knicks back in September for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick to help New York win big games, and none have been more important than the team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal tomorrow against the Atlanta Hawks.

While the contest isn’t as big as a playoff game, it gives the Knicks a sneak peek into what they can expect from Towns in a postseason-like setting.

“This is our first look at Towns in an elimination game with the Knicks, and it comes with him off to a strong start. Towns is shooting 45% from 3-point range, surpassing his career high, and is averaging a career-high 25.2 PPG in his first season in New York,” ESPN contributor Kevin Pelton writes.

While Towns has been dealing with a knee injury, signs point to him being available for the team’s game against the Hawks tomorrow night, and the Knicks need him to have the best chance of winning.

Towns has arguably been the best player for the Knicks this season over Jalen Brunson, and he elevates their ceiling to a higher place than where it was a year ago. Towns is the biggest difference-maker for the Knicks, which makes him the team’s X-factor going into the game.

If Towns plays well, the Knicks have a great shot at winning and advancing to Las Vegas for the semifinals of the tournament. If he doesn’t, it will be a toss-up to beat a Hawks team hungry to beat the Knicks.

Towns and the Knicks will face the Hawks tomorrow night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TNT or streamed on the Max app.

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