Karl-Anthony Towns Closed Out the Cavs With a 19-Point, 14-Rebound Stat Line: The Co-Star Knicks Fans Doubted Just Delivered
The Karl-Anthony Towns trade was the most second-guessed move in Knicks history when it happened. After Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the second-guessing is on permanent pause.
Towns posted 19 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals in the 130-93 closeout win over the Cavaliers. He was the highest-impact player on the floor in the most important quarter of the season. He looked like the difference-maker the Knicks bet on when they shipped Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to Minnesota last fall.
The Knicks needed exactly this version of Towns in the playoffs. They got it.
The Trade That Defined Leon Rose’s Tenure
Knicks team president Leon Rose moved DiVincenzo, Randle and a first-round pick for Towns in October. The reaction was mixed. New York lost two starters and a key shooter for a center with defensive question marks. The bet was that a Towns-Brunson pairing could be the East’s best two-man offense.
Through 82 regular-season games and four playoff rounds, that bet has paid off in every measurable way. The Knicks won 54 regular-season games. They have gone 12-3 in the postseason. They are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Towns has had quiet moments in the playoffs. He was inconsistent against Atlanta. He had matchup issues with Joel Embiid in spots. But he was at his best when it mattered most, and Game 4 was the loudest version of that.
The Defensive Numbers Matter Most
Two blocks. Two steals. 14 rebounds. The criticism of Towns going back to Minnesota was always about defensive engagement. He has spent the spring shutting that critique down.
He held Mobley to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting in Game 4. He helped at the rim against Mitchell drives. He switched on Garland in the pick and roll without giving up a single bucket on those possessions. This is not the Towns the Wolves complained about for nine seasons. This is a Towns that Tom Thibodeau has weaponized.
What This Means for the Finals
If the Knicks are going to win a championship, they will need Towns to handle whichever big the West sends his way. That could be Wembanyama. It could be Holmgren. It could be both, depending on lineups.
Towns has the size, the shooting range and the strength to deal with either matchup. The Finals will turn on whether the Knicks can keep him out of foul trouble and whether his rim protection holds up against the most athletic frontcourts in the league.
The Game 4 stat line is the floor. The Knicks need that floor and a little more on the biggest stage. After watching how he carried himself in Cleveland, there is reason to think Towns has another gear waiting for June.
The Knicks finally have their second star. The Finals are about to find out just how good he can be.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
