Knicks All-Star Wanted to ‘Repay’ Teammates’ Trust with Monstrous 44-Point Performance vs. Heat

The New York Knicks needed a big game from their All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, and he gave them just that in their 116-107 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

Towns put the Knicks on his back with a monstrous 44 points on efficient 17-25 shooting from the field and 4-5 shooting from three-point range, along with 13 rebounds to boot. Before the game, the Kentucky product was only averaging 9.3 shot attempts per game, but he made it his job to assert himself on the road in Miami and New York for a 2-2 record in the young campaign.

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After the game, Towns credited Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson and head coach Tom Thibodeau for positioning him to dominate on the floor. He also talked about his individual play and the team’s progress as a unit, saying this to the media in the locker room: per Five Reasons Sports Network:

“I just wanted to do what I could to help us win. My teammates, like I said, on the court, they put the trust in me with the basketball and the coaching staff. Great game plan. I just wanted to repay their trust,” Towns said.

Regarding the team’s handling of the offense, the four-time All-Star said:

“I think as a team we just played great together and just took the chances that were given to us. You know, not second-guessing a lot of shots, taking what we were given. So it’s a testament to these guys in this locker room. Recover from the previous tough loss and stay mentally ready for this match.

Knicks: Towns and his teammates fixed early-season offensive woes against the Heat

Following the Knicks’ 110-104 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Towns stated that the team had to look for more ways to connect and evaluate film remotely. That was clear the Knicks came up with a different approach against the Heat, as not only did they have six players score in double figures, but they all connected on multiple triples and five did so on 40 percent shooting or better from three-point range.

New York executed soundly when necessary. Towns took over for Brunson and Mikal Bridges, the latter two of whom led the Knicks back from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter, and closed the show in the fourth quarter with an impressive 14 points on 6-7 shooting from the field. He and his Knicks teammates will look to keep things going in their next game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday.