Karl-Anthony Towns Addresses Knicks' Two Early-Season Losses to 76ers

The New York Knicks have not found an answer for the Philadelphia 76ers yet.

After losing to them 106-100 on opening night at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks fell again on Friday, this time 98-93 in Philadelphia, which dropped the defending champions to 2-4 on the season.

Center Karl-Anthony Towns did his part on Friday with 22 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 3-of-7 from three.

Guard Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 24 points and six assists, but he needed 22 shots to get there and appeared to roll an ankle late in the game.

On the other side, forward LeBron James nearly had a triple-double with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

The first meeting was close too, as Towns had 19 points and 12 rebounds on opening night in what was James's debut with Philadelphia.

Head coach Mike Brown had his own thoughts on Friday's loss when he explained what went wrong in the first half.

Towns did not make excuses after Friday's loss, giving the 76ers credit and saying the Knicks have to play better.

"They're a great team. Obviously you have arguably the greatest player of all-time. We've got to bring our best. We've got to execute at a high level," Towns told SNY.

Towns has had a strong start to the season, with a double-double in all six games, with at least 19 points and 10 rebounds every night, including a 27-point, 20-rebound game against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 27.

Brown has asked a lot of him, and he challenged Towns during the Pistons game before Towns answered with that big night.

His numbers just have not turned into wins against Philadelphia, which is the frustrating part for New York.

The 76ers are now 6-1, and with James on their side, they look like a real threat in the East.

Towns is right that the Knicks have to be sharper, because two losses by six and five points show how small the gap has been.

It is easy to panic after a 2-4 start, but I think the Knicks are going to be fine.

This is still the team that won the title, and the two losses to Philadelphia were by a combined 11 points.

Brunson found some positives after the first loss when he pointed to a silver lining, and that same mindset is what this group will need again.

The schedule gives New York a good chance to get back on track.

The Knicks host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday before a trip to Cleveland on Saturday.

Brunson's ankle is the main thing to watch before Monday's game at Madison Square Garden, since the Knicks cannot afford to lose their best guard during a slow start.

If Towns keeps playing like this and the Knicks clean up their mistakes, the 76ers losses will end up being a lesson more than a warning sign, and I expect the Knicks to be ready the next time these teams meet.