The Hawks don’t have an answer for Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Knicks are making sure to exploit that mismatch.
Early in the series, they weren’t going to Towns nearly enough. Over the last two games, that has changed, and now the Knicks are within one win of advancing past the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
Towns was again terrific, a dominant force as the Knicks crushed Atlanta 126-97 in a one-sided Game 5.
They ran offense through the big man, and the Hawks couldn’t stop him.
Three days after notching the first playoff triple-double of his career, Towns produced 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, keying the easy victory.
“He’s a special talent,” OG Anunoby said. “He can do it all. I know if I get open, he’ll find me. No matter how tight the window is, he’ll find me. It’s amazing playing with a player like him.”
Atlanta tried to use quickness on Towns, going with long and athletic guard Dyson Daniels on him, but Towns overpowered him and passed over the top.
Towns was particularly effective in the first half, notching 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists, as the Knicks built a 14-point lead.
There has been a clear change in the Knicks’ offense the last two games. They have featured Towns more and let Jalen Brunson play off the ball.
Coincidentally or not, the captain had his best game of the series in Game 5, scoring 39 points on 15-for-23 shooting.
“I just feel like opportunities presented themselves, and my teammates made it happen today,” Towns said after Game 4. “They made great cuts and allowed me to make those plays you guys are talking about.”
Said coach Mike Brown: “We were trying to find different ways to give KAT the ball. We just switched our early offense up, and it happened to fall into his hands quite a bit.”
