Karl-Anthony Towns had a significant impact in Game 3, contributing seven assists despite limited playing time. He is averaging 7.7 assists during the Knicks' six-game winning streak, showcasing his passing ability.
Key points
Karl-Anthony Towns had seven assists in Game 3.
He played only 25 minutes due to foul trouble.
Towns is averaging 7.7 assists during the Knicks' six-game winning streak.
His assists in Game 3 were primarily in the second half.
Towns feels he finally has the opportunity to showcase his passing skills.
Karl-Anthony TownsKnicksSixersHawks
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Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble early in Game 3. He played just 10 minutes in the first half and 25 minutes overall. But that was more than enough time for Towns to hurt the Sixers with his passing.
The All-Star center finished with seven assists in Game 3 -- six coming in the second half. It was the continuation of a remarkable passing stretch for Towns. The big man is averaging 7.7 assists in the Knicks' six-game winning streak. That's more than double his average in the opening three games against the Hawks (3.3); it's also more than double his regular-season average (3.0).
Some may be surprised by his passing. He is not.
"I feel like I've always had this my whole career," Towns said after Game 3 on Friday. "It's just I never had the opportunity to utilize that skill set. It's being utilized. My teammates have been in great positions for me to find them when they're open."
Mike Brown and the Knicks decided to use Towns as a passer on the perimeter starting in Game 4 against the Hawks. That adjustment is one of the reasons why New York has run off six consecutive wins with a 25.8-point average margin of victory. And it's one of the reasons why the Knicks are one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks trailed the Hawks, 2-1, when they first implemented the changes.
"The real change for us came before Game 4 in Atlanta," Towns said. "That's when we really changed our offense. It's been great. It's been something I’ve talked about for a lot of the season, to feel like we can help our guys (on offense) more. We made the right moves."
Towns knows that the Knicks have more work to do. He and his teammates have talked about staying in the moment as they look to close out Philly. But the Knicks may have missed this moment without those offensive adjustments.
"It was the perfect time for all of us to really get on the same accord," Towns said. "There's no better time to be playing your best basketball than right now. So shout out to Mike and really the whole coaching staff for putting us in the best position to succeed."
Q&A
How many assists did Karl-Anthony Towns have in Game 3?
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded seven assists in Game 3.
What is Karl-Anthony Towns' average assists during the Knicks' winning streak?
Towns is averaging 7.7 assists during the Knicks' six-game winning streak.
How does Towns' passing performance compare to his regular-season average?
His current average of 7.7 assists is more than double his regular-season average of 3.0.
What did Towns say about his passing ability after Game 3?
Towns mentioned that he has always had passing skills but never had the opportunity to utilize them until now.
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May 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the first quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The changes were a product of conversations among Brown, his staff and the players.
"I feel like we all had an opinion and we were able to figure out what was best for our team, especially in a spot like that -- down 2-1," Towns said. "I had my opinion. I feel like we've done a great job adjusting to have all of us be our best."
If you go back to Game 4, the Knicks have the No. 1 offense among playoff teams in that span. They also have the second-best defense. In their opening three games, the Knicks ranked sixth in offense and seventh in defense among playoff teams.
Brown calls it an "equal opportunity" offense.
"Anybody can be in any position," he said Friday before Game 3. "Anybody can set screens. Anybody can initiate it, but it's going to take some time to expand on it."
The Knicks are "just scratching the surface" of what they want to implement on offense, Brown said.
They obviously don't have much time left in the season to make significant changes. NBA teams don't practice at this time of year. So maybe the Knicks can make some small changes here or there.
But in a big-picture sense, Brown believes Knicks are just "scratching the surface" on their offensive potential.
"What we're doing now, I think, can have great carryover next year and down the line because we'd be able to expand on it the right way through a training camp," Brown said.
May 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Brown appreciates Mikal Bridges' ability to impact games in ways that may go unnoticed by the casual observer. What does Brown mean by that?
"One of the things is his ability to run, both directions," he said of Bridges. "I mean, he runs like a deer. His game is beautiful, which makes him fast, and it doesn't even look like it. (He) puts a lot of pressure on the defense because of his ability to run. He's got a good feel for what his pace needs to be in half court; he'll sprint into a ball screen and slip out. And when he slips out, he slips with vision.
"And the ball may not go to him for a score or for an assist, but when you generate something like that with pace and you're a threat to slip because you can score from the medium range or get to the rim, the defense has to (adjust). When the defense (adjusts), it opens up other opportunities for your teammates. And then he's always uplifting. He's extremely positive with his teammates.
"Those things are just a few of the things that go unnoticed to others throughout courses of games and throughout the course of year and we appreciate when he brings those to the table."
HART PLAYING THROUGH DISCOMFORT
Josh Hart suffered a sprained left thumb in Game 2 against Philadelphia. He played in Game 3 but will be playing through some discomfort in the thumb for the rest of the season. He said he had an X-ray during Game 2 and he learned he hadn’t broken his thumb. So he returned to the game, finishing out the Knicks' home win.
"It's something I'll revisit in the offseason," Hart said before Game 3. "There's people that played through this."
