Karl-Anthony Towns speaks on earning more trust from the coaching staff.
The New York Knicks closed out the Atlanta Hawks in emphatic fashion in game six, winning 140-89.
The Knicks led by as many as 61 during the game.
After back-to-back one point losses in games two and three, the Knicks responded with wins by 16 points, 29 points, and 51 points. It was the most lopsided six game series in NBA history as the Knicks won the series by 105 points.
The Knicks got contributions up and down their roster, but perhaps the biggest contribution came from Karl-Anthony Towns, who answered the call after game three when many fans and punidts were asking for him to step up and be more aggressive.
Karl-Anthony Towns Becomes Mr. Triple Double
In game four, Towns recorded his first career playoff triple double, putting up 20 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists.
It was not only his first career playoff triple double, but it was just his fifth career triple double.
Days later, he recorded his second career triple double, putting up 12 points, 11 rebounds, and ten assists in the game six rout.
Speaking after the game, Towns was asked about his triple double contributions in two of the last three games.
"I just wanted to answer the call. You ask for opportunities, and they oblige. I have to repay that trust and opportunity. I always talk about impact on winning. I got more opportunities to do that, and I want to make sure that I took advantage of it. I'm proud that I've been able to help us win," he said.
The Impact Of Towns
Towns averaged 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and six assists in the series. He had by far the best net rating of the five starters, finishing with a 115.4 offensive rating and a 102.6 defensive rating for a +12.8 net rating.
The next highest among the starters was Josh Hart at +5.4.
Jalen Brunson finished with a +1.8 net rating while OG Anunoby was at +0.9 and Mikal Bridges was a -12.4.
Though Towns has said that passing has always been part of his game, it was a new wrinkle for the Knicks offense in the back half of the series. He's never averaged more than 4.5 assists in a season, and averaged just three assists during the regular season. Averaging six per game in the first round was by far the best number of his career in the regular season or playoffs.