The New York Knicks carried a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter on New Year’s Eve against the San Antonio Spurs, but they let it slip away and fell short of claiming a statement win on the road.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns shrunk in the fourth quarter
A big part of why things fell apart was because their second option didn’t show up down the stretch. Karl-Anthony Towns played the entire fourth quarter, a period in which Victor Wembanyama was off the floor with a knee injury, yet he still didn’t provide a positive impact.
Towns only scored two points in the game’s closing period, attempting only three shots. He committed more personal fouls (3) than points scored. His disappearing act down the stretch was just another indicator of his inconsistency this season.
Towns has had a strong season in retrospect, but it doesn’t feel as dominant as his season last year. He has had some big games this season where you feel his presence, but also has others where you feel like his presence just isn’t there.
The Knicks need Towns to be better
To make matters worse, the low IQ fouls erase a lot of the good that he can do. With the Knicks trying to load manage Mitchell Robinson, they can’t afford to have Towns regularly finding himself in foul trouble.
The Knicks have themselves a very good team, but they need more out of their All-Star big man if they want to reach their ultimate goal. Jalen Brunson has done a lot this season, but he can’t do everything for them.
Towns will look to bounce back on Friday, when he and the Knicks look to get back in the win column back home against the Atlanta Hawks.
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