ATLANTA (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns has long been known as one of the NBA's best-shooting big men. On Saturday night, he showed he can be a pretty good passer, too.
Towns had the fifth triple-double in his 11-year career and first in the playoffs, leading the New York Knicks to a 114-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks to tie the first-round playoff series at two wins apiece.
Towns' 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists made him the fourth Knicks player to notch a postseason triple-double, joining Hall of Famers Walt Frazier and Dick McGuire, and teammate Josh Hart.
Assists aren't typically a pillar of Towns' game. The 7-foot center led the league with 56 double-doubles this season. All 56 consisted of double-digit points and rebounds.
Instead, it's Jalen Brunson who quarterbacks the Knicks offense, averaging 6.8 assists per game this season. Towns, meanwhile, averaged three assists during the regular season.
That changed in Game 4.
“Opportunities presented themselves, and my teammates made it happen today. They made great cuts and allowed me to make those plays," Towns said. "It’s a shoutout to my teammates making great moves to the basket and allowing me to utilize my skill.”
Brunson, who had 19 points and three assists, said Towns was the difference maker in building the Knicks' commanding lead.
“This is a big-time performance from him,” Brunson said. “Great decision-making. He really put us in a position to win.”
Towns said setting his teammates up for success is a greater thrill than any flashy shot.
“To see my teammates being special and to be able to get them involved is something I truly enjoy even more than hitting a shot,” Towns said. “To see people like OG (Anunoby) consistently making the right read, cut, back door, whatever the case may be against the defense, and doing something special, it brings me joy.”
Anunoby, who led the Knicks with 22 points, was one of the primary beneficiaries of Towns’ playmaking. The 6-foot-7 forward was on the receiving end of five of his assists on Saturday night.
“He's a special talent, you know, he can do it all,” Anunoby said. "I know if he'll get open, he'll find me. No matter how tight the window is, he'll be able to find me. It's amazing playing with a player like him.”
The Knicks now head home to Madison Square Garden where they'll host Game 5 on Tuesday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Join us at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center on May 1 and May 2 at 7:30 PM for a dynamic … Read moreMateo Motion XXII
Get ready for an exhilarating morning at the Third Annual Foster City 5k Fun Run on Saturday… Read moreFoster City 5k
Come support local artists and small business! Our 3rd annual Spring Studio Sale! Read moreSpring Studio Sale
Join us May 9th for the District 4 Toastmasters 2026 Conference - Eras of YOU: Renewing Huma… Read moreDistrict 4 Annual Conference - Eras of YOU Renewing Human Resilience in the Generative AI Era
Dirk van Ulden said:
Greg - thank you for this wake up call. It is relevant for many of us in similar situations.
Dirk van Ulden said:
Well - good for you but that unicum is still not convincing.
LittleFoot said:
LittleFoot said:
I challenge you to challenge me, Terence.
LittleFoot said:
Voting is for children. Politics is WWE - Hollywood for ugly people.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.