Towns credits the bench for helping the team snap a season-long losing streak.
The New York Knicks came into Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers in a tough spot, having dropped four straight and looking nothing like the team that won the NBA Cup just weeks earlier.
However, the Knicks found their footing at Madison Square Garden and walked away with a 123-111 victory to stop the bleeding and improve to 24-13 on the season.
After the game, Karl-Anthony Towns made sure to give credit where it was due, pointing to the reserves who stepped up when the team needed them most.
Towns Gives Shoutout to the Bench
"Shoutout to our bench coming into tonight, understanding the magnitude of the game and us being on a four-game losing streak and having the competitiveness to do whatever it takes to get us a win," Towns said.
The praise was well-deserved, as the Knicks' second unit delivered when it mattered most.
Jordan Clarkson came off the bench and added 12 points, including an old-fashioned three-point play late in the third quarter that put New York ahead for good at 88-87 and kicked off a 30-13 run that buried the Clippers.
The veteran guard is averaging 10.0 points per game this season while providing important depth in the backcourt.
Towns himself bounced back in a big way after a rough outing against Detroit on Monday, where he managed just six points on four shots while turning the ball over six times in a blowout loss to the Pistons.
Against the Clippers, he finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and a season-high seven assists while taking over in the fourth quarter when the game hung in the balance.
He scored 10 of his points in the final period, including the first five of the fourth quarter that helped New York build a double-digit lead at 103-92 with under eight minutes to play.
On the season, Towns is putting up 22.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game for the Knicks.
Balanced Attack Leads the Way
The win featured a true team effort from New York with six players finishing in double figures.
Jalen Brunson led the way with 26 points on efficient 9-of-12 shooting along with seven assists, which was a huge improvement after failing to record a single assist in Monday's loss.
The star point guard is averaging 29.1 points and 6.6 assists per game this season and has been the engine that makes the Knicks go.
OG Anunoby matched Towns with 20 points while Miles McBride added 16 points off the bench.
McBride has been a key piece for New York this season, averaging 12.7 points per game and providing a scoring punch when he checks in.
Mikal Bridges chipped in 15 points as well, and the forward is putting up 17.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in what has been a solid second season with the Knicks.
The improved ball movement was on full display as New York racked up 31 assists, which was a huge turnaround from the season-low 15 assists they had against the Pistons just two nights prior.
Looking Ahead
For the Los Angeles Clippers, who fell to 13-23 on the season with the loss, Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points, while James Harden added 23 in his return from a shoulder injury.
Ivica Zubac and John Collins each posted double-doubles, but it was not enough to overcome New York's second-half surge.
The Knicks were able to avoid their first five-game losing streak since December 2022, and Towns knows there is still work to be done as they head out on a four-game road trip starting Friday in Phoenix.
He acknowledged after the game that the team was not at its best but did enough to get the win and stop the skid.
"We got to be better than we were tonight. I have to be better," Towns said. "This is a good start before heading on the road trip to stop the bleeding of four losses in a row...now we have to build off of it."