KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS FLEXED toward the Madison Square Garden crowd following a drive that began more than 30 feet from the basket and ended with the 7-foot big man 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, extending the New York Knicks' lead to 14 points with less than seven minutes remaining in Saturday's first-round opener. The play highlighted the matchup nightmare Towns presents throughout these playoffs: a versatile stretch big who needs to be accounted for at all times.
"It gets back to efficiency, and that's a challenge for us right now," Hawks coach Quin Snyder said before the Knicks' 113-102 win on Saturday. Towns scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half, offsetting a cold-shooting night from All-Star guard Jalen Brunson.
"It's a little bit of pick your poison. How do you handle [Towns] on the post with a mismatch? How do you handle him on the pick-and-roll?... There are times where it's good defense, better offense."
Therein lies the conundrum: With Towns and the Knicks, it's not always that simple.
Snyder came into this series well aware of Towns' exploits and success against his team. Towns' 28.5 points per game against Atlanta is his highest against any team this season, along with 63% shooting from the field and 50% from 3.
But it's a gamble Snyder is willing to take, considering how well New York plays when Towns has big scoring nights compared to others. For example, the Knicks are 23-4 this season when OG Anunoby scores 20 or more. When Towns reaches that plateau, the Knicks are 26-15. (After starting Monday's Game 2 loss eight for 10 from the field, Towns finished with 18 points as he and the Knicks squandered a 14-point lead to even the series.)
What is simple are the stakes, spoken and silent, facing Towns and the Knicks' 2026 playoff run. Under a rare but direct edict from owner James Dolan, reaching the franchise's first NBA Finals since 1999 is the expectation, not the hope.
It's that way for coach Mike Brown, who replaced Tom Thibodeau following his controversial firing in June. It's also that way for wing Mikal Bridges, who arrived two years ago in exchange for a hefty collection of draft picks.
And it's certainly that way for the 30-year-old Towns, who is always under scrutiny for simultaneously not doing enough and trying to do too much.