Karl-Anthony Towns’ double-double helps Knicks hold off Nets for fifth-straight win despite a family emergency
Jan 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) takes a three-point shot past Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) in the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The New York Knicks’ early game struggles continued on Friday night, but double-double machine Karl-Anthony Towns showed up to lead the team to a 93-92 road win. Towns has been away from the team over the last few days dealing with a family emergency involving his father, Karl Towns Sr.,. It was his father who urged the 30-year-old forward to play at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“Shoutout to my pops, man,” an exhausted Towns said during the on-court postgame interview. “He told me to come play today. I know I was questionable and I didn’t think I was going to play.” A few moments later in the interview with Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Towns admitted to experiencing a tough 48 hours with his family. “I had a long day yesterday and I had a very long day. I wasn’t with the team. I was taking care of my family. I showed up just to play.”
New York needed every bit of Towns’ 26-point, 15 rebound effort in the narrow victory over Brooklyn. It was the 49th double-double of the season for the Knicks big man, who leads the NBA in that category. Denver’s Nikola Jokic (46 double-doubles) is likely the only threat to take away the honor from Towns with only a handful of games left in the campaign.
The Knicks trailed by eight points at the end of a season-low 14 points in the first quarter and trailed by six points at the halftime break. New York surged to the lead behind a 31-point scoring effort in the third quarter before Brooklyn rallied to cut the deficit to one possession in the final frame before Towns’ layup put the finishing touches on a win.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 points and added eight assists, while OG Anunoby contributed 16 points. Josh Hart was ruled out before the game with a right knee injury after missing games last week due to a left knee injury. Still, New York had just enough firepower to secure a fifth-straight win.
With 11 games remaining in the 2025-26 NBA season, the Knicks are well situated in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Currently, New York owns the third-best record in the conference at 46-25 through 71 games. The Knicks are still hot on the heels of the Boston Celtics (47-23) for the Atlantic Division crown. New York has two wins against Boston this season and will seek a definitive win in the season series during the duo’s final battle on April 9 at Madison Square Garden.
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