Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
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Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket around James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Rocket Arena on February 24, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
In a stunning turn of events, All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns attempted only five shots in the New York Knicks‘ 109-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Towns’ lack of assertiveness was all the more perplexing because he shot 5-of-5 from the field, with the final field goal coming at the 8:28 mark of the fourth quarter. In fact, that fourth-quarter shot was his only field goal attempt in the second half, during which the Knicks scored only 40 points while shooting a horrible 31.1% from the field.
KAT received a lot of backlash from analysts and fans alike for not taking more shots.
“Towns cannot shoot 5 shots. Inexcusable,” wrote X user Strickland.
“This isn’t the first year Karl Anthony Towns has been extremely passive as an offensive player in certain moments,” highlighted X user Nyscentral.
New York Basketball
Karl-Anthony Towns as Knicks lose to Cavs 109-94:
4 shots first half 1 shot second half (made all 5) 5 turnovers
Towns Struggles to Fit in
What makes it all the more perplexing is that Towns has had several games this season in which he has attempted five or fewer shots. The six-time All-Star attempted only four shots against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 24, though he played just 16 minutes because Mike Brown preferred matching Mitchell Robinson against Joel Embiid. He similarly attempted four shots in a 121-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 4, and just five shots during a 132-125 win over the Miami Heat on Dec. 21. It’s worth noting that Towns didn’t leave the game prematurely with an injury in any of those occasions.
For the season, KAT is attempting a career-low 13.9 shots, marking a massive drop from his 16.9 attempts under Tom Thibodeau last year. Many analysts have blamed Thibs’ successor, Mike Brown, for not utilizing Towns to the fullest, specifically for not running plays for the Kentucky alum in the post and midpost areas. Instead, Brown has preferred to use KAT as a modern-day big stretching the floor to benefit ball-handlers.
Knicks Could Lose Top-3 Seed
Towns’ weak showing against the Cavaliers came after he had five consecutive games with 20+ points — his first such streak this season — including a 28-point performance against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Many analysts felt that KAT had turned a corner and would likely be featured more in the Knicks’ offense during the homestretch of the season. That’s precisely why his lack of aggressiveness on Tuesday — against a team the Knicks are battling with for a top-three seed — came as a shock.
The sharpshooting big man admitted last Sunday that he’s been forced to make sacrifices to his game for the betterment of the Knicks.
“I’m so blessed that I’ve got these guys in this locker room and I’ve got my support system, my family, my fiancée that are pushing me to another level even from last year to do what’s needed for this team to win,” he said, via SNY’s Colin Martin.
“Whether that’s to sacrifice more like this year or like in these last two games, if I’m touching the basketball, I got to make the shots. I’m glad I’ve been able to do that for my teammates and we’re able to win these games.”
With Tuesday’s loss, the Knicks (37-22) found themselves tied with the Cavaliers (37-22) in a tight battle for the third seed in the East.
Stefan Bondy
Just an embarassing game for the Knicks.