Karl-Anthony Towns silences the critics and responds to help the Knicks win Game 3 on the road.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Behind Karl-Anthony Towns’ right ear is a tattoo. He has to fold his ear to reveal the ink.
It reads “4:/13.” It has a double meaning. The first is an ode to his favorite bible verse, Philippians 4:13, which reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The second meaning goes even deeper. Five years ago, Towns’ mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, passed away during the pandemic. A young man was abruptly without his mother, his protector. Towns lost his mother on April 13, 2020. On 4/13.
“4:/13,” a collision of two spirits.
Towns was reminded about his mother often on Sunday. It wasn’t just another big game that he’s played without her there, sitting behind his team’s bench like she always did — and if she wasn’t in her normal spot, Towns would find her quickly because his mother’s voice always rose above even the loudest crowds, her boisterous encouragement finding his ears like the moon always finds night. Sunday’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals landed on Dominican Mother’s Day. Towns’ mother was Dominican. He supports his nationality proudly, even playing for the country’s national basketball team.
Towns’ excitement in joining the New York Knicks this past offseason in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves was based on his upbringing. His mother was a die-hard Knicks fan. The family grew up in New Jersey, not too far from Madison Square Garden. Towns takes pride in being a Knick because his mother’s roots mean so much to him.
That’s why Sunday was so special. Towns didn’t just rescue New York’s season when he rained 3s from all over Indianapolis during a 20-point fourth quarter, helping the Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers and narrow the Eastern Conference finals to a 2-1 series deficit. Each shot was another gift to his mother.
“My mom’s side of the family hit me up and told me they were going to be watching the game with my aunts,” said Towns, who also plays with a wristband that has “4/13” stitched into it. “It just meant a lot that I was able to play on a day like today. Obviously, I didn’t know my mom was expecting a game like tonight, but I’m just happy that this team was able to get a win on her day.”
For much of the night, it didn’t appear as if the Knicks were going to get that victory. New York was down by as many as 20 points to the Pacers. And even when the deficit wasn’t that high, the Knicks were down double-digits for most of the night. New York was sloppy. It looked like a team ready to put its toes in the sand. Even Towns was nowhere to be found in the first half. He played just 13 minutes. He couldn’t stop fouling. Towns had four points going into halftime while his team was facing a 13-point deficit.
Towns’ third quarter wasn’t any better. He had more fouls (one) than points (zero). Towns took one shot in eight minutes. Yet the Knicks only found themselves down by 10 when the fourth quarter started, thanks in large part to coach Tom Thibodeau’s willingness to try anything to save the season, including leaning on a lineup that featured Landry Shamet and Delon Wright, two players who have barely played this postseason. Their efforts, along with the shot-making of Miles McBride and Josh Hart doing Josh Hart things, gave New York a chance. That’s when Towns decided to enter the chat.
Towns hit 3 after 3 in the fourth. One while falling down. He drove past Indiana’s Myles Turner and Tony Bradley and finished at the rim off one foot. He finished while falling away and kissing the ball off the glass with precision.
Towns went into the fourth quarter with four points and seven rebounds. He left the arena with 24 points, 15 rebounds and a season-saving victory.
“I feel after the and-1 and he started finger-pointing is when I knew he had it going,” McBride said of Towns. “Honestly, he’s a special player. He did what he had to do tonight.”
This performance came on the heels of a Game 2 loss in which Towns barely played in the fourth quarter. Towns logged only 28 minutes in that game as New York was performing better when Mitchell Robinson was on the floor. That was tied for the fewest minutes the All-NBA talent played in a game since December.
“Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses,” Thibodeau said. “We always talk about playing smart, and when you’re playing smart, you’re playing to your strengths and covering up your weaknesses. You can’t get here without being a great player. So, whatever it is that you do great, that’s what we want you to lock into. It’s not only understanding what you do well, but understanding what your teammates do well. Lead them into the things that they do well and cover up their weaknesses. When you do that, you’re playing smart and enhancing your chances of winning.
“KAT, as we know, is a very gifted scorer. He can score at three different levels. He’s comfortable at the 3-point line, comfortable putting the ball on the floor and comfortable playing with his back to the basket. So, as long as he stays aggressive, it’s a huge plus for us.”
Towns was forced to chew on that over the last 48 hours.
“My teammates put me in great spots to succeed, and I just wanted to capitalize on the opportunity,” Towns said. “All of us were just doing whatever it takes and putting ourselves in position to get back in the game and putting ourselves in a position at the end of the game to have a chance to win.
“I saw an opportunity to utilize what was ours. The game wasn’t looking great for me or all of us. I just wanted to do what it takes to put us in a position to win. Like I said, it’s a testament to my teammates to have trust in me and putting me in spots where I can succeed and utilize my talents.”
New York needed Towns to show up. He did. Towns needed a stage. He got one. The marriage kept the Knicks’ season alive.
It’s bigger than that, though. Towns got to celebrate his mother. He got to shout-out his family and heritage with a smile on his face and a win in his back pocket, all while the whole world watched.
This was the good stuff, the stuff you can’t script. This is why we romanticize sports so much.
For some, that round, orange ball means a little bit more than meets the eye.
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James L. Edwards III is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Knicks. Previously, he covered the Detroit Pistons at The Athletic for seven seasons and, before that, was a reporter for the Lansing State Journal, where he covered Michigan State and high school sports. Follow James L. on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII
