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Continuity works in different ways. For the Knicks, it’s been a positive for their defense.
Three weeks into their title defense, the Knicks are among the NBA’s stingiest teams while allowing 104.2 points per game. That was third best in the league heading into Sunday’s games. It’s partially a product of New York playing at the slowest pace in the NBA, resulting in fewer points for both teams.
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But the Knicks were also ranked seventh in defensive rating — calculated by points allowed per 100 possessions — which is the same position they finished last season.
Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. Getty Images
The difference this time around? It took the Knicks three months of terrible defense last season to start climbing to No. 7. They were 19th in the NBA through Jan. 19, then caught fire and were No. 2 in defense for the final 43 games.
Already in this campaign, they’re thwarting opponents at a top-tier rate. They obviously have OG Anunoby, a premier and versatile individual defender. But in today’s NBA — where ball handlers hunt switches and favorable matchups through screens — a defense is often only as good as its weakest link.
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And Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been criticized throughout his career for lazy defense, has been far from weak. Much like during his strong playoff run, KAT has been active off the ball, committed and clearly in shape after cutting weight in the summer.
During Saturday’s win over the Cavs, Towns grabbed 13 rebounds and had two steals — including a strip of Donovan Mitchell on the perimeter late in the third quarter. Towns stepped into Mitchell’s driving lane on a screen, established position and didn’t let the All-Star split the two defenders. Mitchell coughed up the ball as he fell to the court, which led to a Towns assist on Landry Shamet’s 3-pointer to cap the game-breaking 25-12 Knicks run.
Towns said his experience defending Mitchell — they were Western Conference opponents for five years — provided him the foresight to see the split attempt…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/karl-anthony-towns-renewed-commitment-053652954.html
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Publish date : 2026-11-09 05:36:00
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