Karl-Anthony Towns Joins Elite, Rare Knicks Company

Karl-Anthony Towns' latest scoring output places him in elite New York Knicks company.

Feb 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after getting fouled on a made basket in the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

This KAT is running with an elite New York Knick clowder.

Karl-Anthony Towns continues to fulfill, and perhaps exceed, every expectation the Knicks placed upon him when they obtained his services from Minnesota in the late stages of the offseason. Towns' latest masterpiece, his last before repping the Knicks at this weekend's NBA All-Star Game, saw him put up 44 points and 10 rebounds in a thrilling 149-148 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Such a scoring output places Towns in more elite Knicks company: combined with his tally of 40 in Tuesday's win over Indiana, the center becomes just the fifth New Yorker to reach that plateau in consecutive games, joining an illustrious list that also features Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, Bernard King, and teammate/fellow 2025 All-Star Jalen Brunson.

New York (36-18) certainly needed every tally from Towns and then some on Wednesday night: facing the hated Hawks, the Knicks saw a six-point lead disappear within the final 10 seconds of regulation before getting back their footing in the extra session. Brunson might've stolen headlines for his game-winner in the fifth period but Towns' historic efforts did not go unnoticed.

The only point total Towns himself was concerned about in the aftermath was that under the Knicks' logo on Madison Square Garden's massive video screen. Firmly entrenched among the Eastern Conference's top three, the Knicks won nine of their final 11 games going into the hiatus.

"I would’ve needed a therapist if that would’ve [been a loss],” Towns said of Wednesday's game, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “It would’ve been a tough break to go into. But I’m just happy after all that happened, we found ourselves on the right side of the game and finding ourselves with a win. It makes going into the break more worth it.” 

Towns will partake in the All-Star Game's main even on Sunday night at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

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