dailyloe.com – Karl-Anthony Towns flexed toward the Madison Square Garden crowd after a drive that began more than 30 feet from the basket. The 7-foot big man ended on the floor, awaiting a trip to the foul line to cap a three-point play. Towns had bullied his way from next to the Atlanta Hawks bench, through two defenders and to the rim.
The play extended the New York Knicks’ lead to 14 points with less than seven minutes remaining in Saturday’s first-round opener. It highlighted the matchup nightmare Towns presents throughout these playoffs. He is a versatile stretch big who needs to be accounted for at all times.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder spoke before the Knicks’ 113-102 win. ‘It gets back to efficiency, and that’s a challenge for us right now,’ Snyder said. The series is critical for both teams as the playoffs progress.
Neither Thibs nor Mike Brown has figured out how to fully unlock Towns’ potential. The question remains whether the playoffs can unlock Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks hold a 1-0 lead in the series.
