Karl-Anthony Towns’ return helped snap the Knicks’ three-game losing streak

RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley’s careers against the New York Knicks haven’t been as successful as they were playing alongside them. On the flip side, last night’s 112-98 Knick win over They The North means OG Anunoby is undefeated against the Toronto Raptors, having played increasingly well against his former team since landing in the Big Apple in the middle of last season.

Roster construction is a tricky thing. So is finding the right head coach. Neither are problems for the Knicks, at least not the way they are for the Raptors and the seemingly ungraspable fluidity of their situation. To the surprise of few, a rookie head coach hire hasn’t cracked that nut yet (Ed. note: Darko Rajaković, 45, has been coaching for 30 years, though the Raptors are his first time leading an NBA team. Also, he may be a thief.). At the end of this one, that’s what it boiled down to.

Jalen Brunson, New York’s best player, is in the middle of a rough stretch, averaging 23 points on 43% shooting and 14% from three his last four games. Of all players to attempt more than 14 threes in that span, only Devin Vassell and Vasilije Micić are shooting worse. Brunson’s lone 3-pointer last night was only his second since returning from injury four games ago. Small sample size me all you like, I don’t care – Brunson has been very much not Brunson.

Still, it didn’t hold the Knicks back against the Raptors. Karl-Anthony Towns made his return to the floor after a one-game absence and picked up where he left off: building an MVP case. He put up 27 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks in 34 minutes. A few notes on Towns’ night:

• The only other player to record that statline (or better) this season was Anthony Davis in a New Year’s Eve loss to Cleveland. 

• Towns’ himself hadn’t had a game like that in 389 days, since a December 2023 Timberwolves win over the Indiana Pacers. 

• Julius Randle is the last player to record that stat line for New York, in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies back in 2021-22, if you’re wondering.

Can you tell I just renewed my Stathead subscription? I live for this shit. (Ed. note: Me too!)

As for the rest of the best . . .

Notes

• Anunoby was everywhere against the Raptors, as has been the case in his four games against them, averaging 21.5 points, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks. No more evidence is needed that he takes the matchup personally.

• Anunoby was probably New York’s best player in the skid-snapping win, though there’s an argument for Josh Hart, who had 21 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and a steal in – Shield thine eyes, thou who cry over playing time! – 38 minutes. And he hit two threes, the first of which snapped another cold open for the Knicks. Also, look at the ball movement on this play.

• Shoutout to Quickley, who (somehow) finished +7, the only Toronto starter to finish in the black. 22 points, five assists, three rebounds and a pair of stocks – not the Quickley we know, but I believe he’s on his way back four games returned from an elbow injury. 

• Last time these teams played, RJ was the optimized version of himself, battering the Knicks with left-handed conquests at the rim. Last night was the opposite, in large part thanks to Anunoby hounding him from start to finish. New York’s former third overall pick had 16 points and was -18 in a rather vintage performance, as some remember them.

• Landry Shamet is Mr. Consistent, even if only on defense. He added eight points to an otherwise disappointing season thus far, at least from a scoring perspective, but was determined on defense from start to finish over 21 minutes I think are a sign of what’s to come. Shamet shooting 23% from three won’t dissuade Thibs from playing him. Say he’s paid to be a shooter all you want, sure, but he earned his spot on this roster for his defense. Until that wavers or Miles McBride comes back from his calf injury, Shamet’ll keep getting extended run.

• I thought Mikal Bridges played his ass off on defense, despite shooting just 2-of-11 from three (10 points). All you can ask for as the Knicks look to keep it rolling on Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A bounce-back win over the Raptors brings us back to where the three-game skid all started, with a rematch against Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and company. For a team that’s amassed more questions than praise for solutions found this season, a win Friday would make a statement – one that, in my mind, will resonate more with fans and around the league than if New York had beaten them the first time around. It’s not exactly postseason pace, but a rematch with a team who dismantled you in the fourth quarter six nights prior is as good an opportunity as any to display adaptability and resilience. That is, if they’ve got it. I believe they do.