Karl-Anthony Towns reacts to playing in New York after stupendous MSG debut for Knicks - "It definitely hits different"
Newly acquired New York Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns thrived in his home preseason debut at Madison Square Garden. Afterward, he thanked Knicks fans for their warm welcome and expressed excitement for the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
Towns, who New York acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month, made his road preseason debut on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. He and the rest of the Knicks' starters played sparingly in their team's 111-109 victory, resting the entire second half.
However, Towns and Co. received extended playing time on Wednesday at MSG, with the four-time All-Star showcasing his offensive prowess. Towns tallied a game-high 25 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 28 minutes as New York trounced the Washington Wizards 117-94.
Following his sensational home debut, Towns, who hails from New Jersey, touched on the emotions running through his mind.
"Man, the fans have been great. It definitely hits different to be home," Towns said. "It's been a blessing to be here, and I'm excited for all the games I get to play in front of these fans."
With the win, New York improved to 2-0 in the preseason, with three more contests remaining. With its offseason additions of Towns and star wing Mikal Bridges, the Jalen Brunson-led franchise appears poised to take another step in the Eastern Conference.
Last season, the Knicks placed second in the East (50-32), coming within one win of their first conference finals appearance since 2000.
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Karl-Anthony Towns on his developing chemistry with Jalen Brunson
Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson was another standout on Wednesday, tallying 23 points on 70.0% shooting across 23 minutes. During Karl-Anthony Towns' postgame interview, he was asked about his and Brunson's "two-man game potential."
According to Towns, he and Brunson are focused on doing whatever it takes to lead New York to success.
"We work hard every single day to make sure that it looks the best for these fans," Towns said. "So, we just want to translate it to winning, and we're doing a great job of doing that."
While the Knicks had an elite defense last season, they sometimes struggled to generate consistent offense outside of Brunson. That proved to be their downfall in the playoffs, with the banged-up squad suffering a 4-3 second-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers.
So, Towns' addition should alleviate offensive pressure on Brunson while providing New York with increased frontcourt spacing.
Over 62 games with Minnesota last season, Towns averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 blocks and 2.2 3-pointers per game, shooting 50.4%.
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