Thursday Night PrimeTime Report – 1/9/25

Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns’ impact on this Knicks team is unmatched, and it makes the rest of the team better.

Last night, the Knicks beat Toronto 98-112 to snap a three-game losing streak. Even on one knee, Towns pushed his team to a victory.

In this NBA, the big man is a crucial component of a successful team. Although the Knicks do not currently hold the depth they anticipated at center, Towns has been better than advertised. In addition to his prolific three-point shooting, he can pick and roll beautifully and draw many defensive fouls. His only weakness is that because of his size, he gets into foul trouble.

My favorite thing about Towns, though, is that he relishes being a Knick. He grew up a Knicks fan, and while he has been a superstar in this league for many years, going back home has made him better than ever before. The Knicks are gritty. They play through injuries. They play 40 minutes per night. As long as KAT stays healthy, he will likely be elected an All-Star, and he is a candidate for MVP.

In this game, the Knicks bench got extended minutes and played well, particularly Landry Shamet. This saves the bench some energy for tomorrow night’s marquee matchup against Oklahoma City.

Toronto had a biggest lead of four points while the Knicks had a biggest lead of 26 points. The score was tied once with one lead change and a longest run for 15.

The Knicks will play their next game on Friday night against Oklahoma City.