Towns shares the key to championship success after his team's historic 54-point victory.
The New York Knicks had not won at all in more than a week, and they needed a statement game in the worst way possible.
What they delivered on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden was nothing short of historic, as the Knicks crushed the Brooklyn Nets 120-66 in the most lopsided victory in franchise history.
Towns Delivers Message After Historic Night
Karl-Anthony Towns was a target of some of the boos on Monday when the Knicks fell to the Dallas Mavericks by 17 points at home, so when asked what New York needed after the record-breaking win, the All-Star center kept it simple while also looking ahead.
"A win. That was the most important thing, just finding a way to break the ice and get one in the left column," Towns said. "So good game, good day for us to show what we're capable of, but consistency is what makes champions. We've got to find that consistency of bringing this kind of intensity, energy and execution every single night."
Those words carry weight for a Knicks team that has been searching for answers during a recent slump.
New York had lost nine of their previous 11 games and were just two days removed from the low point of their season when they trailed Dallas by 30 points in the first half on Monday.
The 54-point margin of victory against Brooklyn surpassed three 48-point wins that had stood as the previous franchise record.
Knicks Stars Step Up in Dominant Fashion
Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 20 points while Landry Shamet caught fire off the bench with 18 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting night from three-point range in just 15 minutes of action.
The Knicks shot 57.5 percent from the field as a team and led by as much as 59 points at one stage of the blowout.
Six players finished in double figures, which showed the kind of balanced attack that had been missing during the losing streak.
What changed from the slide to the statement win was effort and execution on both ends of the floor.
The Knicks dominated the boards 56-27 and racked up 28 assists compared to just 15 for Brooklyn.
The Nets shot a brutal 29 percent from the field, while the Knicks showed what head coach Mike Brown has been demanding from his squad for the full 48 minutes rather than just in spurts.
Looking Ahead
The win improved New York's record to 26-18 on the season as they remain firmly in the mix for a top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn dropped to 12-30 and has now lost eight of their last nine games while the Knicks have won 13 straight meetings against their crosstown rivals.
But as Towns made clear, one win against a rebuilding team does not solve all of New York's problems.
The Knicks know a more realistic test comes Saturday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that won both matchups against them this season in New York.
"We've been in the midst of a pretty rough stretch and it's not about just one game right now," swingman Landry Shamet said. "There's got to be a continual pursuit for us getting better and growing."
If the Knicks want to make the deep playoff run they believe they are capable of, they will need to listen to their star center's message and find the consistency that has left them since their NBA Cup title in December.