The New York Knicks dropped Game 2 of their first-round matchup with the Detroit Pistons behind a porous offensive showing. Notably, their offseason acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns failed to show up in crunch time, with both players going scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns was virtually a no-show in Game 2
Towns was noticeably frozen out of the game plan almost entirely in the second half. After scoring 10 points in the first half, he attempted just three shots the rest of the game, all of which came in the third quarter.
The Knicks needed Towns to show up and deliver a big performance to help them complete their comeback, but he did not step up when they needed him to. SNY’s Ian Begley firmly believes that his lack of impact is the reason behind the loss.
“Karl-Anthony Towns, no shots in the fourth quarter, just three in the second half, so that makes you wonder about the offensive process here in Game 2,” said Begley (h/t Athlon Sports’ JH Kubicek). “I think the rebounding was not where it was throughout the whole season, and that was a big problem. Obviously, Detroit controlled the boards.”
The Knicks need Towns to take charge the rest of the way
Along with the lack of scoring, Towns had little impact in the rebounding game despite Detroit missing their backup center, Isaiah Stewart. The Pistons outrebounded the Knicks 48-34, which is astounding given that the Pistons had just one healthy center.
Towns has been known to see his production dip in the postseason, but considering how much they are relying on him to produce, the Knicks will need a lot more out of him if they envision winning this series over Detroit.
Towns and the Knicks will have a chance at redemption on Thursday when they head to Detroit for Game 3. That game is scheduled to tip off at 7 P.M. EST and be broadcast nationally on TNT.