With the New York Knicks preparing to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, head coach Tom Thibodeau has made it clear what he wants from Karl-Anthony Towns — and it isn’t just more points.
After a modest 10-point performance in the Knicks’ Game 6 clincher over the Pistons, Towns dismissed the idea that he should take more shots because of his superstar status.
“I’m about winning, so as long as we’re winning, it’s fine,” Towns said after Saturday’s practice. “All I know is as long as we win, we good.”
But Thibodeau’s message to Towns ahead of the Celtics series offered a sharper insight into how the Knicks plan to maximize the versatile big man, especially when the shots aren’t falling.
“When there’s a second or third defender coming in, I don’t want him to try to shoot over three people. I want him to make a pass,” Thibodeau said. “If he does that, he’s helping his team.”
Thibodeau stressed that Towns’ Game 6 impact exceeded the box score. He led the Knicks with 15 rebounds and made several key defensive plays late, despite fouling out in the final minute.
“I thought KAT played a terrific Game 6,” Thibodeau added. “That was huge for us. Huge.”
Still, the challenge intensifies against a Celtics team that dominated the regular-season series against New York. The Knicks lost three of four games to Boston, with Towns scoring a combined 45 points in the blowouts. The lone close contest? April 8, when Towns posted 34 points and 14 rebounds.
That game looms large as the Knicks prepare to pull off what would be a monumental upset. While Towns averaged 19.7 points and 10 rebounds in the first round — solid numbers by most standards — he was below his regular-season output of 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.
The expectation now is clear: Towns must be more than a rebounder or a decoy.
“We can’t let offense or shots falling dictate the way or how hard we play or the things we can control,” said Jalen Brunson. “The longer we go in the playoffs, the more difficult games are gonna be.”
As the Knicks aim to topple the defending champions, Towns’ ability to balance scoring aggression with intelligent decision-making will be critical. Thibodeau is banking on his star to deliver more than just points.
