Karl-Anthony Towns focused on effort and execution after the New York Knicks fell 103-100 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks battled back from a 15-point deficit and had two chances to tie the game in the closing seconds, but the final shots by OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson did not fall.
“Honestly, I’m proud of our guys,” Towns said after the game. “We fought. We did our best to execute against a championship team.”
The All-Star big man emphasized the importance of creating quality looks late against a defense anchored by one of the league’s top teams.
“At the end of the day, if we’re going to lose a game, I want to lose with two of our best players getting the shots they got, giving ourselves a chance,” Towns said. “If you’re going to beat us, you’re going to have to beat us at our place with them at their best on the same night.”
New York generated those opportunities in the final seconds after rallying in the second half.
“Jalen shot a fabulous shot,” Towns said. “Mikal did an amazing job giving us a second chance. OG took a great shot, good follow through, everything. Just wasn’t our night.”
The Knicks center finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, while anchoring the interior with Mitchell Robinson unavailable.
“Any game I try to go out there and assert myself and utilize my size,” Towns said. “I just want to be the best version of myself. Every day I wake up thinking about how I can impact winning and be a star in my role.”
Towns also addressed a reviewed foul that gave him his fifth personal late in the game.
“I hit him in the back of the head. I did,” Towns said. “But you rarely see that call though. They challenged it and after review they made a determination.”
Despite the frustration, he said his focus remained on staying locked into the game plan.
“In the moment I’m not even thinking about the fouls,” Towns said. “I’m just thinking about staying locked on the goal at hand and keeping our guys locked in.”
The matchup also served as a measuring stick against the defending champions.
“They’re a championship team and one of the best players in the world,” Towns said. “It’s a good test for us to see where we’re at.”
New York currently holds a 40-23 record and sits third in the Eastern Conference with roughly 20 games remaining.
“I think we’re in a good spot,” Towns said. “We’re still a work in progress, but we’re getting closer to the time where we need to be the best version of ourselves.”
The Knicks have also emphasized defensive improvement during the second half of the season.
“We’ve been challenging ourselves to be a better defensive team because we know that’s what it’s going to take to win playoff series,” Towns said.
He pointed to last year’s postseason examples of defense deciding games.
“The offense gave us a chance to win,” Towns said. “The defense won the game.”
