“Things Like This Should Never Happen”: Shaquille O’Neal Cracks Down On Karl-Anthony Towns During Game 3 ECF

Shaquille O'Neal voices his concerns with Karl-Anthony Towns in the first half of Knicks' Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Finals series against the Pacers.

4 Min Read

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As a former NBA big man himself, Shaquille O’Neal often focuses on how the 7ft center is performing in a game. Last season it was Nikola Jokic, now it’s Karl-Anthony Towns. During the Knicks’ Game 3 battle with the Pacers, Shaq voiced his issues with the way Karl-Anthony Towns was playing.

He said, “You know when KAT is at the No. 5 spot, he can be a dual threat, he can play inside and outside. Chuck and I prefer him to play inside, but you still got to be aggressive. You’re down 0-2, Chuck said it before the game; you need desperation out here. Things like this should never happen. 6’11 right here, right at the basket, you’ve got to make this, you’ve got to play with force. He’s not playing well, this shot right here, (Barkley shouts “What the hell was that?” from behind), we’d be fighting in the locker room right now. We’re down 0-2, and you’re taking 35-footers and missed this shot right here.”

Karl-Anthony Towns started the Eastern Conference Finals very strongly, arguably with his best performance of the Playoffs this season with 35 points in Game 1. In Game 2, however, Tom Thibodeau benched him in the fourth quarter, despite a strong game. That seems to have now taken a hit on his confidence. After 20 points in Game 2, Towns only had 4 points in the first three quarters of Game 3. It was this performance from Towns that made O’Neal and Barkley very unhappy. 

Towns finished the game with 24 points. Towns woke up in the fourth quarter and started with a three-point bomb and an emphatic dunk with a little over 7 minutes left in the game to take the lead for the Knicks after being down as many as 20 points. He eventually dropped 20 points in the final quarter as the Knicks rallied back to take the lead in Game 3. The Knicks won the game 106-100 to make the series 2-1.   


Tom Thibodeau’s Baffling Coaching Moves

The Knicks have reached this position arguably due to Tom Thibodeau’s questionable coaching strategies. From benching key players like Karl-Anthony Towns down the stretch to benching important starters like Josh Hart just for the size of Mitchell Robinson, Thibodeau’s moves have shaken up Knicks fans to the core. Even today, Jalen Brunson, with five fouls, was sitting on the bench for most of the final quarter. He may have only played 2-3 minutes in the most clutch moment of the game.

Thibodeau is known for overexerting his players beyond the point of necessity as well. While in some cases it may end up being helpful, in some cases it has also ended up costing players severely. From Derrick Rose to Jimmy Butler, several players have suffered severe injuries due to Thibodeau’s intense strategies. If the Knicks end up losing this series, Thibodeau may be fearing for his job.

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Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA Analyst and Columnist at Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. He fell in love with basketball in 2018 after seeing James Harden in his prime. He joined the sports journalism world in 2021, one year before finishing his law school in 2022. He attended Jindal Global Law School in Sonipat, India, where his favorite subject was also Sports Law.He transitioned from law to journalism after realizing his true passion for sports and basketball in particular. Even though his journalism is driven by his desire to understand both sides of an argument and give a neutral perspective, he openly admits he is biased towards the Houston Rockets and Arsenal. But that intersection of in-depth analysis and passion helps him simplify the fine print and complex language for his readers.His goal in life is to open his own sports management agency one day and represent athletes. He wants to ensure he can help bridge the gap in equal opportunity for athletes across various sports and different genders playing the same sport.
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