Early in the second quarter on Friday night in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals, Karl-Anthony Towns curled toward the baseline and caught an inbounds pass from Jose Alvarado on the move. He took one dribble, skipped through a gap in the defense and threw down a two-hand slam ahead of the outstretched arms of Victor Wembanyama.
Immediately, Towns turned and screamed in Wembanyama’s face.
Towns didn’t say anything in that moment, but he didn’t have to. His game has done the talking.
Through the first two games of these Finals between the Knicks and Spurs, Towns has not only outplayed Wembanyama in their personal frontcourt battle, he’s been the best player on the court. Yes, Jalen Brunson has come up with the biggest individual moments, and did so again late in Game 2 on Friday, but Towns is the biggest reason why the New York Knicks are up 2-0 on the San Antonio Spurs, and two wins away from their first title since 1973.
Towns finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block on 8 of 12 shooting in 34 minutes in Game 2, and the Knicks were +11 with him on the floor — the highest mark of any Knicks starter. Single-game plus-minus is not a foolproof stat, but the Knicks were also +14 with Towns on the floor in Game 1.
Through two games, Towns is averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, four assists and one block on 55.6/42.9/100 shooting splits. Among all players, he’s third in scoring, first in rebounding, tied for fourth in assists and tied for third in blocks. Entering the series, Towns was +2200 to win Finals MVP. He’s now +185.
Towns vs. Wembanyama in the Finals
|
Towns |
19.5 |
12.5 |
4 |
0.5 |
1 |
55.6 |
42.9 |
|
Wembanyama |
27.5 |
10.5 |
2 |
1.5 |
3.5 |
40.5 |
26.7 |
‘It’s bringing us into difficult areas’
Towns’ ability to space the floor gives the Knicks a true five-out look that has presented new challenges for the Spurs. Unlike in previous series, Wembanyama hasn’t been able to spend all night roaming around on the backline as an omnipotent threat erasing even the thought of attacking the rim.
“It’s very different from the previous series. It’s bringing us into difficult areas because they’re good players. [Towns] is a good player,” Wembanyama said after Game 2. “Yeah, I mean, we just need to figure it out. We need to keep working on it. How many points did they score tonight? 105? We can do a little bit better. We can do better defensively.”
Towns knocked down three 3s in Game 2, but he’s also been able to put the ball on the deck and create for himself in one-on-one situations, as he showed with his big dunk in the second quarter. The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals in part because Chet Holmgren was afraid to attack Wembanyama, but Towns has had no such fear.
Towns’ ability to find the perfect level of aggression has been extremely impressive. It’s never felt like he was forcing the action or taking bad shots.
“It comes with experience. I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too much, and it was the detriment to the team, and I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too little, and it was a detriment to the team,” Towns said ahead of Game 2.
“It’s a fine line. It comes with experience where you learn what truly is best for the team and being able to find that balance of being aggressive and impacting the game with your skill set, but also utilizing that skill set to make others better. Something that experience has taught me. I think right now, I’m doing the best I’ve done at it.”
‘He’s been pretty phenomenal on both sides of the ball’
Towns is one of the most talented and versatile offensive big men the league has ever seen, so it’s not some major shock that he’s finally put everything together at the highest level. The defense he’s been playing, on the other hand, has been stunning. Throughout this entire playoff run, Towns has stepped up on the defensive end like never before.
“He’s been pretty phenomenal on both sides of the ball,” Brunson said after Game 2.
Entering the series, there was a lot of talk about how well OG Anunoby defended Wembanyama during the regular season, and how big wings like him can give the 7-foot-4 Frenchman trouble. But Mike Brown decided to give Towns the Wembanyama assignment to start Game 1, and has not needed to make an adjustment.
“KAT is smart. He’s got a good feel. He’s got better feet than what you think. He’s long. He’s long and he’s strong. Those combinations bode well for a guy defensively,” Brown said ahead of Game 2. “It’s just about embracing it and staying present while understanding what the small details of your job should be.”
Towns isn’t suddenly blocking shots left and right, or making spectacular defensive plays, but he’s consistently been in the right spot and has worked hard to make life difficult for Wembanyama. Towns’ length and activity has played a big role in keeping Wembanyama out of the paint, and making him less efficient than usual when he has gotten there.
Through two games, Wembanyama has taken more shots outside of the paint (22) than inside the paint (20), and is shooting 40.5% from the field — down from 51% in the first three rounds of the playoffs. The NBA’s tracking data is not perfect, and has not yet been updated to include Game 2, but in Game 1, Wembanyama was 2 of 11 with Towns as the closest defender.
Asked about his effort in slowing down Wembanyama, Towns refused to take any credit after Game 2.
“It’s all about the team success, so for us to be up 2-0, it’s a testament to the coaches getting us a great game plan and to my teammates executing the game plan,” Towns said. “It’s a team effort, and we found a way to win these two games. So it’s a shoutout to everyone coming together for the greater cause.”
‘It strengthens you beyond measure’
In April 2020, Towns lost his mother, Jacqueline, to COVID-19. Towns was extremely close to his mother, and said that he could feel her presence in the arena during Game 1 on Wednesday.
“I don’t know what it was, but I just felt a calm and a peace that had to come from the woman above,” Towns said after Game 1. “I felt really confident about today. I felt good. I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. This was something as a kid you always dream about. You always hope just to be an NBA player, let alone be in the NBA Finals.
“All day it was just a weird feeling. I felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play my Saturday AAU games and Sunday AAU games. In a way, I felt like I was seeing [my mom] in the stands. It was fun. It was really fun. And it was really comforting.”
After the final buzzer sounded on Friday, Towns looked up to the sky and blew a kiss. He told the broadcast that he was telling his mom he “needed a stop” on the final possession, when Wembanyama missed a mid-range jumper that would have won the game for the Spurs.
“It’s amazing, as you go through life, you lose a parent, anyone who’s listening, you just look for signs. I’ll take any sign I can get and I prayed to her strong before that possession,” Towns said. “A great player got a great shot, it just didn’t go in… I take it as a sign my mom is here with me, so I appreciate her so much.
A short time later, Towns made an appearance on ESPN with Scott Van Pelt and again spoke about his mother and how her death has strengthened him as a person and a player.
“When you go through something like that, other than losing a child, there’s nothing worse you can go through,” Towns said. “It builds you up, and it strengthens you beyond measure. … I was strengthened on April 13th when I lost my mother. … What I do know is I truly can do anything when I walk in faith and I walk with the angels beside me. I feel like anything’s possible. I feel like nothing’s impossible. I’m just grateful to be in this position.”
