Knicks’ Towns Takes Over City in Preseason MSG Debut

Despite struggles from deep, Karl-Anthony Towns wooed the Washington Wizards and his new adoring public in his first unofficial showing as a New York Knick.

Towns donned the Knicks’ home white for the first time on Wednesday night, which saw New York dominate the Washington Wizards by a 117-94 final in preseason action. Granted 28 minutes that extended into the fourth quarter, Towns scored 25 points and pulled in 12 rebounds. The Knicks (2-0) were a plus-24 on the scoreboard when he was on the floor, second to only the plus-26 for Jalen Brunson, who, in turn, trailed Towns with 23 points.

Towns struggled from deep, sinking just 1-of-7 tries with an extra point on the line but showed how he could shore up the Knicks’ uncertain interior picture: four of his dozen rebounds provided second chances on offense and he got to the foul line 11 times, hitting all but one of the subsequent free throw opportunities. Towns would save the best for last, scoring half of the Knicks’ 32 points in the third period before he retired early in the fourth.

New York trailed by three after the opening period but took the lead for good on an 11-0 run early in the second, one punctuated by a putback dunk by Ariel Hukporti. Free throws for Mikal Bridges, making his own maiden voyage at the Garden, permanently placed the Knicks ahead by double-figures.

In their triumph, the Knicks made Washington (0-2) look like every bit of the rebuilding team they’re expected to be this season: despite missing defensive stalwart Miles McBride (illness), New York forced a whopping 30 turnovers, as five different Knicks earned multiple steals. Bridges and Hukporti each led the way with three while OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Tyler Kolek had two each.

Bridges had 16 points in his own debut Garden party while the rookie Hukporti had seven points and four rebounds in 16 minutes. Fellow freshman Kolek had 15 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting while Cameron Payne sank four of the Knicks’ 10 successful three-point tries.

Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert had 14 off the bench for the Wizards but their most positive takeaways likely linger with their top pick Alex Sarr, who fell just short of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, accompanying those with three blocks.

The Knicks’ next preseason game will be a bit of a personal matter, as they’ll face Towns’ former employers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, on Sunday evening (6 p.m. ET, MSG). Though unofficial, it’ll be the first time the teams see each other since their recent, highly-publicized trade and one that will send Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle back to Madison Square Garden early.

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