Star center Karl-Anthony Towns had his customary big game on Tuesday night as his New York Knicks eked out an uncomfortable 99-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
He put up 25 points and hauled in 16 boards with six assists to rebound from a concerning 13-point effort on 5-of-18 shooting during Monday’s win against the Atlanta Hawks — his first game back from a short absence stemming from a thumb injury.
Tuesday night’s stat line, as commonplace as it has become, did feature one irregularity: It came without a three-pointer (0-for-3). In fact, Towns has shot 1-of-9 from beyond the arc since his return, which is a far cry from the 43.3% clip he has been converting at this season.
It is a clear indication that his thumb continues to bother him.
After repeatedly saying, “It is what it is,” when asked about playing with this lingering issue, he did say it “for sure” was impacting his three-point shooting ability.
“What am I, 1-for-9?” Towns asked (h/t SNY). “It’s better than 0-for-9.”
The 29-year-old’s plan to combat the issue was to simply stay closer to the hoop. Thirteen of his 18 field goal attempts came from the paint, and all 11 of his makes were from that area of the floor.
During the second half, he took just two shots from outside the paint, both misses.
Regardless, Towns’ versatility helped carry the Knicks to their narrow win over a tanking Brooklyn side. His 25 points were a team-high, which ensured that they remained two games behind the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
“These are games that are good tests for us to see how truly close tihs team is,” Towns said. “I’m proud of us.”
New York’s schedule and that back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday did little to help Towns recuperate that thumb. But a three-day break before the Knicks’ next game on Friday against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden should only help.
Kcassman