The New York Knicks have had a rocky few games, losing five of their last six games before Sunday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. New York's 123-114 win in Portland was a much-needed result for head coach Mike Brown and his team.
What stood out during the Knicks' victory was Brown's usage of Karl-Anthony Towns in his system. Since the Blazers had a big center like Donovan Clingan, Brown opted to utilize Towns as a power forward alongside fellow big man Mitchell Robinson.
Szczerbiak's praise for Brown is warranted
It was a well-rounded performance for the Knicks, with three players scoring over 20 points. Towns had a superb double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, while OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson turned it up in the fourth quarter to win the game in a close matchup.
For most of the game, Towns was playing extremely well. He was scoring and rebounding in the paint, but he was also being a fantastic connective piece for the Knicks. He and Robinson had natural chemistry together in the frontcourt, which is something that former NBA guard Wally Szczerbiak noticed.
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Even if Anunoby and Brunson took over in crunch time, Towns deserves to be applauded for his performance. The Knicks built a good lead in the first three quarters, and that came mostly from Towns' awesome performance.
"You can tell the offense is getting him the ball. He had 10 shots in the first half, he was very active. Even if he does not get looks and isn't the primary offensive player, he still does not give up on the boards... I think the chemistry with him and Mitchell Robinson on the floor together, starting to figure it out," Szczerbiak said in the Knicks' postgame show.
"You have to be unpredictable over the course of the season, as teams have game tape on you. Right now, the Knicks are starting to put in the wrinkles that make them unpredictable."
If Brown continues to be more versatile with his system, the Knicks will be an even tougher matchup. The Knicks had a hard time putting the Trail Blazers away, but their poise under pressure was superb.
Brunson and Anunoby were the clutch-time stars, but Towns and Brown's willingness to play around Towns were the keys to victory.
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