The New York Knicks are four wins away from their first championship in 53 years. The road hasn’t been easy, but the combined efforts of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges (among others) have taken the Knicks where they haven’t been since 1999.
For his part, 7’0″ center Karl-Anthony Towns has provided a massive boost in the frontcourt, making an impact with his scoring, rebounding, and size at the position. In a recent chat with the media ahead of Game 1, Towns gave his own perspective on the situation, starting with how his team has handled the prolonged layoff between these Finals and the previous series.
“We understand what happened last time we had a layoff like this,” said Towns, via SNY Knicks. “So, we’re trying to be better than we were last time by approaching it better and preparing better than we did last time. We’re obviously making tweaks to not have the same rust that we had in Game 1.”
The Knicks haven’t lost a Game 1 yet this year, going 3-0 through the first three series. The closest they came, however, was against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Finals. After sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, the Knicks had nine full days off before facing Cleveland. They started rusty in the series opener (trailing by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter) but rallied for a historic comeback win, going on to sweep the series 4-0.
Despite their sluggish start in Game 1 of that series, the Knicks still found a way to win, and that perseverance has been one of their defining characteristics this season. Even so, the Knicks know that the margin for error will be slim against whoever comes out of the West. Whether it’s the Spurs or Thunder, they won’t be able to get away with coming out flat or sluggish to start the game. That’s especially true in light of Mitchell Robinson’s injury, which could compromise his impact in the series.
That’s why head coach Mike Brown is working closely with his staff to implement a new game plan that will get the offense going from the jump. While the Knicks have not been willing to give specifics of the plan, they’ve had plenty of time to work it out and practice seamless execution.
Regardless of the strategy adjustments, Towns will be a major part of the Knicks’ success, and he’s already helped with key adjustments in the playoffs. Behind Jalen Brunson, he’s among their most reliable scorers, coming off a strong 2025-26 season with averages of 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 50.1% shooting from the field and 36.8% shooting from three. At 30 years old, the six-time All-Star is still in the prime of his career, and he’ll be fighting desperately to capture his first-ever NBA championship.
