Karl-Anthony Towns torches flailing Bucks in emphatic Knicks win
Bucks coach Doc Rivers stated before Friday’s game that he’s more focused on his own team’s woeful record than worrying about the Knicks’ supposed growing pains so far with two new starters.
One of those acquisitions, Karl-Anthony Towns, then went out and torched Rivers’ flailing team for 27 first-half points and 32 in 32 minutes overall in a thorough 116-94 Knicks victory at the Garden.
“The guys in this locker room have welcomed me with open arms and made me feel comfortable and want me to play my game,” Towns said after the game. “Obviously, there’s gonna be times we have to find the cohesiveness and we’re not used to playing with each other, but every single day we’re getting better.
“Every single day we’re working on ourselves, and as a team we’re finding different ways we can utilize each other’s talents better.”
Mikal Bridges, the team’s other key summertime pickup, netted 12 of his 17 in the second half for the Knicks, who improved to 4-4 ahead of Sunday’s game in Indiana.
Jalen Brunson contributed 15 points and a season high-tying nine assists — with zero turnovers — in 32 minutes.
With OG Anunoby hounding him for much of the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24, while Damian Lillard had 19 for the Bucks (2-7).
“You guys want to talk about offense, but I think defense is what won us the game tonight,” Towns said. “OG is special. He’s so special.
“What he brings to the defense, I’ve been in the league for a decade now, and I don’t know if there’s been another guy like OG in my lifetime. One of the best defenders I’ve ever seen, and I played with Rudy Gobert [in Minnesota]. Man, he’s special.”
Tom Thibodeau’s revamped squad dropped four of its first seven after consecutive road losses earlier in the week against the Rockets and the Hawks.
Rivers, who had Thibodeau on his staff in Boston, has confidence in his former assistant.
“Have you seen us? Have you seen our record? I think that’s what I’m more focused on now,” Rivers said before the game. “I know the Knicks’ coach and I know that he’s going to get it all together. I’m sure of that.
“Tom’s a phenomenal coach. And they made changes. They made changes to their core guys … chemistry is an amazing thing. They had it last year and they’ll get it back. You don’t just wake up and have it. It takes time. It will come for them, I guarantee it.”
Towns nailed four of his first five from the floor — including three straight from long distance — as the Knicks grabbed an early 11-point lead en route to a 32-25 advantage through one quarter despite an 0-for-5 showing from the floor by Brunson.
Anunoby buried a 3-pointer and Towns drove the lane for a dunk to extend the cushion to 50-37 midway through the second.
The Knicks led by as many as 19 before halftime, including Anunoby picking off an errant pass by Antetokounmpo and feeding Brunson for a layup.
That marked Brunson’s lone bucket among seven shot attempts through two quarters, but Towns finished the half with 27 points as the Knicks carried a 66-47 lead into intermission.
Bridges nailed a couple from downtown and Brunson netted eight in the third, and the Knicks’ lead was still 19 before pulling away in the final period.
“It’s going to take time to be cohesive, like how we were at the end of the year last year,” Brunson said. “It’s kind of a different team. So for us, we have to continue to gel every single day, and keep learning.”
