Mike Brown Reacts to Karl-Anthony Towns’ Near Triple-Double vs. Raptors

Head coach Mike Brown found out after the fact how close center Karl-Anthony Towns came to a triple-double on Thursday, as the New York Knicks big man finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists in a 122-120 win over the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden.

Towns made 4 of his 8 shots in just under 29 minutes, while center Andre Drummond added 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting.

After the game, a reporter asked Brown about his two centers combining for 13 assists, and that was when Brown learned Towns had been one assist shy.

In his postgame comments, Brown explained why he missed it during the game, saying "I didn't know that because he was waving me off. You know, KAT's such a nice guy. I was going to wave back."

Brown added that he held back because he did not want the young players to think he was joking around at that moment.

He still liked what he saw from both of his centers, and he called 15 rebounds a great job before he said that coming that close to a triple-double was amazing.

The rebounds are nice, but the nine assists are what I would focus on.

I think Towns is at his best when he is scoring and finding open teammates at the same time, because defenses then have no easy way to guard him.

He was a big part of the title run last season, and his defense in the playoffs got plenty of credit, but a version of Towns who runs the offense from the post would give the Knicks one more way to win.

Brown also spent a lot of time on Drummond, who he said played a good game on both ends and was very impactful.

He explained that Toronto had to switch and start chasing matchups in the second half, and he said he needs Drummond to screen and roll to put pressure on teams and to protect the rim by going straight up instead of hunting blocks.

I like that Brown has two very different centers to lean on.

Towns can stretch the floor and pass, while Drummond does the dirty work inside, and if they can share 13 assists in one night, the bench and starting group should both have a strong big man all season long.

Towns has plenty going on away from the court, since the Knicks announced they are tabling extension talks with eligible players, including Towns, until later in the season.

There has also been talk of a gap between what the team has offered and what he wants, so a strong start would only help his case.

New York finished the preseason 1-4, but the win over Toronto was a good way to end it before the Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to open their title defense.

League executives still see New York as the team to beat in the East, and I think Towns playing like this is a big reason why that belief holds up.