Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns Reveals Reason Behind Questionable Tag

Karl-Anthony Towns was listed as questionable ahead of the New York Knicks' matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

Instead, KAT showed up, delivered 26 points and 15 rebounds, and helped the Knicks survive an ugly 93-92 victory, before revealing the deeply personal reason behind his decision to play.

After the win, KAT opened up about what was the reason behind the questionable tag.

"Shout out to my pops. He told me to come play today. I know I was questionable — I think I was gonna play — but shout out to my pops, man. He wanted to watch. I showed up just to play. I wanted to be here for my teammates," Towns said in his post-game interview.

Karl-Anthony Towns talks his final free throws, Karl Sr., and his play as of late.

(via @KnicksMSGN) pic.twitter.com/YM9FIWNAkW
— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) March 21, 2026

KAT Dominates But Nearly Turns Villain With Missed Free Throws

Towns‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ was about as good as you could possibly be defensively right from the first tip. He pulled down a defensive board at the 29-second mark of the game and, ahead of the second quarter, he was doing free throws and hitting mid-range shots as a way to support the Knicks.

A driving dunk that Jalen Brunson assisted in the second quarter and a pull-up 3-pointer in the third, which reversed the lead, were among the highlights of his very efficient ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌performance.

But the final seconds nearly turned ugly. With the Knicks clinging to a slim lead and under five seconds remaining, Towns was sent to the line and missed both free throws, giving the Nets a slim hope of stealing the game.

Fortunately, Brooklyn could not convert, and New York escaped with the win.

"It was an expensive lesson, stay locked in and just continue to find ways to score," Towns admitted afterward.

The victory was also the head coach's 500th career win, a milestone that KAT confessed he was completely unaware of.

KAT Primed to Feast Against the Wizards Next

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Knicks are currently 46-25 and they have won five games in a row. New York will be at home, at Madison Square Garden, where they will play the Washington Wizards.

For Towns, the game appears to be a great opportunity, as he has averaged 27.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists against Washington throughout his career, making the Wizards one of his most pleasant opponents.

Well, we could expect Josh Hart to return against Washington, and the Knicks look poised to extend their winning streak.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!