SAN ANTONIO – Karl Anthony-Towns waited his entire life for this opportunity, and he rose to the occasion.
The Knicks’ big man, who had lost in the conference finals the previous two seasons, was the Knicks’ best player for large stretches of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Matched up with Spurs burgeoning superstar Victor Wembanyama, Towns more than held his own at both ends of the floor.
Towns helped rally the Knicks from a 13-point deficit and finished his first NBA Finals game with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists as the Knicks took the series opener, 105-95, to extend a franchise record playoff win streak to 12.
Towns was terrific in the third quarter, as the Knicks rallied. He had a pair of 3-point plays, a blocked shot that led to a runout in transition and 10 points and four rebounds in the period.
Overall, it was what the Knicks have come to expect from Towns in the playoffs. Efficient offensively, a playmaker for his teammates and an improved defender. In his 34 minutes, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 11 points.
Surprisingly, the Spurs started the game with Wembanyama on Towns, and the Knicks’ center didn’t back down. He went at Wembanyama.
One time, it resulted in an emphatic rejection by the 7-foot-4 unicorn after Towns beat him off the dribble. But that didn’t stop Towns from attacking the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
“Obviously he’s a special talent, and the NBA is blessed to have him and for him to be able to showcase his talent to the world,” Towns said in the lead-up to the finals. “For us, we just have to have discipline in our game plan and execute at a high level.”
They did that, led by Towns being at his best against one of the premier forces in the NBA.
