Karl-Anthony Towns shone as the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-104 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on Friday. While Towns’ play was the highlight of the night, his beautiful message after the win to his co-star Jalen Brunson has also gone viral.
“You’re never by yourself,” Towns told Brunson. “You’re never by yourself. I’m always with you step by step.”
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That’s the kind of togetherness you see in championship-winning teams. The Knicks are very much on their way to winning their first title since 1973 after taking a 2-0 lead over the Spurs. These two men are the biggest reasons why they were able to win both games in San Antonio.
Brunson put up 30 points (12-31 FG), three rebounds, and two assists in the 105-95 win in Game 1. The three-time All-Star was incredibly inefficient, but scored 13 points on 5-9 shooting from the field in the fourth quarter to get the Knicks across the finish line.
As for Towns, he had 18 points (7-15 FG), 12 rebounds, four assists, and one block that night. The six-time All-Star is one of the better offensive bigs in the NBA, but it was his play on the defensive end that stood out.
Towns did a fabulous job guarding Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama had 26 points but was even less efficient than Brunson, going 6-21 from the field.
Brunson then sang Towns’ praises after the game for how well he defended Wembanyama. The Frenchman went 2-12 from the field when he was the primary defender.
That win saw the Knicks snatch home-court advantage in the series, but they weren’t satisfied with that. They were hungry for another victory and just about managed to get it.
Towns led the way in Game 2 with 21 points (8-12 FG), 13 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block. The 30-year-old has been playing so well that Charles Barkley and even Shaquille O’Neal, one of his biggest critics, think he is the Finals MVP as of now.
Towns definitely has a strong case, and we have him atop our power rankings, too. If the Knicks win this series, the award will go to him or Brunson, who put up 20 points (7-25 FG), five rebounds, six assists, and five steals in Game 2. The guard has been missing a whole lot of shots, but he’s made the biggest ones as well in the clutch.
You’d imagine neither Towns nor Brunson would be all too upset if they didn’t win the award. Knowing their natures, they’d probably say their co-star deserves to win. Selfless is the word that comes to mind when you think of these Knicks.
Towns also got emotional after this game when speaking about his late mother. Jacqueline Cruz had passed away in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. She was 58 years old, and her passing was understandably a hammer blow to Towns. He felt she was with him in both of these games, and it sure feels like there’s someone watching over him.
Towns will now shift his focus to getting the Knicks another win in Game 3, which tips off at Madison Square Garden on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET. If they do win that night to take a 3-0 lead, then this series would be all but over.
