The New York Knicks handled Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers in comfortable fashion, but Game 2 was an absolute brawl. Although both teams were fighting tirelessly, a hilarious incident involving Karl-Anthony Towns in the third quarter offered some respite from the intensity.
Game 2 ended in a 108-102 victory for the Knicks, helping New York secure a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. While Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance in the game was noteworthy, his viral moment to help restart the game was arguably more heroic. Towns addressed the incident during his postgame media availability, sharing:
“It seemed like they were struggling. I wanted to get the game going. I already had the hot hand.”
At the midway point in the third quarter, all play had to be stopped after the game ball was lodged behind the backboard. Although 76ers center Andre Drummond made a valiant effort to bring it down with a broom, his repeated failures delayed the game.
Karl-Anthony Towns took the broom from Andre Drummond after he struggled to get the ball from behind the backboard 😅
The Knicks fans were LOVING it! pic.twitter.com/9pm3HPXWRD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 7, 2026
Karl-Anthony Towns, who was the driving force for the Knicks, was aware of how this could impact the team’s offensive momentum. In an effort to hasten things up, the big man stepped in and freed the ball, earning a loud applause from the home crowd at MSG.
“I didn’t say anything to Andre and none of them,” Towns recalled. “But I said something to Maxey, and that’s why y’all saw us laughing at the free-throw line. He walked up to me, and I was like, ‘I went to Kentucky longer than you.’ So I have a little more experience with the geometry and all that comes with getting the ball off of that.”
Karl-Anthony Towns made sure to give a shoutout to Kentucky head coach John Calipari and the university’s teaching staff for the geometry lessons. Needless to say, without them, Towns would not have been able to save the day.
All jokes aside, however, Towns’ decision to step in and get the game started may have proven vital in the larger scheme of things.
At the time of the incident, the 76ers enjoyed a 74-71 lead. Although both teams continued to trade baskets, the Knicks’ big man seemed to be singlehandedly carrying New York’s offensive effort during this stretch.
Only a minute later, Jalen Brunson scored a crucial basket to tie the game at 79-79. As Philadelphia’s offense dried up, Towns stepped up to the plate again, scoring on one of his two free throws to help New York take the lead.
Although this lead was short-lived, Karl-Anthony Towns helped the Knicks steal back some momentum. This paid off in dividends in the fourth quarter, where Jalen Brunson took over, delivering timely baskets to ice the game.
While Brunson was the Knicks’ leading scorer with 26 points and six assists, Karl-Anthony Towns was equally impactful, notching a near triple-double performance of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
As the series heads to Philadelphia for the next set of games, the Knicks must rally together to remain competitive. With Towns embracing a larger role on offense, New York will hope to see their superstar dominate against Joel Embiid.
