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Former Teammate Takes Shot at Knicks Star

A familiar face awaits one star center and the rest of the New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Geoff Maggliocchetti|
Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) celebrates his three point shot against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) celebrates his three point shot against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns will pace a member of his former pack when the NBA playoffs open this weekend against the Detroit Pistons.

The best-of-seven set will offer Towns a reunion with Malik Beasley, as the two previously collaborated for parts of three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Beasley, however, doesn't appear to be nostalgic.

“I’m not worried about KAT," Beasley said in video from Woodward Sports Network. "I don’t worry about KAT. I’m not even thinking about him ... he's the least of my worries."

To be fair to Beasley, he was smirking as he commented on Towns' incoming arrival, so his verbal warfare could simply be an attempt to create playful ribbing between teammates. But the two shared several tense moments in the four-game regular season series between the Knicks and Pistons, which the latter won by a 3-1 final.

Both Towns and Beasley are making their maiden postseason voyages with their new squads and each has played a major role in the journey to date. Towns received his first All-Star Game starting nod in this past season with the Knicks while Beasley is expected to receive prime consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

The Knicks know how much Beasley can affect a ball game: they previously fell victim to a seven-triple outing from the ninth-year veteran, on Dec. 7, which saw him earn 23 tallies in a 120-111 triumph. He has been a face of the Pistons' ongoing resurgence, which has seen them more than triple their 14-win total from the previous year.

"I came into this season with something to prove," Beasley said in an essay he authored for The Players' Tribune. "I think Detroit was the perfect fit, because it’s like this entire team had something to prove. Ownership, Coach, Cade [Cunningham], our young guys, our vets — man, even y’all fans I think had something to prove ... it’s been that way all season — all of us realizing what we can do for each other, and that the sky is the limit with this team."

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGGLIOCCHETTI

Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.

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