Mike Brown opting for Knicks’ hot hands kept Karl-Anthony Towns on bench to close game
NY Post
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Knicks closed out their victory with an All-Star on the bench.
Karl-Anthony Towns was subbed out with 9:24 remaining and watched the rest of Sunday’s 123-114 win over the Blazers from a seat, with coach Mike Brown explaining afterward that he was rolling with hot hands.
“We normally do [close with Towns]. On the minutes sheet, he’s there [to play down the stretch],” Brown said. “But we strung a lot of stops together. And we were getting out and going. And I will do this — if I think a group is rolling, I’ll keep a group out there. As long as it doesn’t impact a guy’s minutes drastically. And that group was rolling and I kept them out there because of it.”
The Knicks won those final 9 ½ minutes without Towns, 31-20. Brown either used Mitchell Robinson at center or went with a small lineup, with Miles McBride playing with the four other starters (Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges).
Towns finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes.
A day earlier, Brown reiterated that the onus is on him and the struggling center to make it work. Their partnership has been uneasy, with Towns consistently citing the challenges of adapting to the coach’s system.
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