The New York Knicks are currently preparing for Game 3 of their first round playof series against the Atlanta Hawks, which is slated to take place on Thursday evening on the road. The Knicks and Hawks are tied at one game apiece after New York choked down the stretch of Game 2 on Monday, relinquishing a 12-point fourth quarter lead en route to a loss.
After scoring 14 points in a huge third quarter, big man Karl-Anthony Towns was MIA down the stretch of the fourth in that game, puzzling fans and pundits alike.
Towns has not always had a clear role this year in new head coach Mike Brown’s system, causing some to wonder if he might be a trade chip should the Knicks flame out early in this year’s playoffs.
Recently, Vincent Goodwill of ESPN reported on the latest updates regarding Towns’ and the Knicks ownership’s state of mind on that front.
“He so badly wants things to work here,” a source said. “He wants to be a Knick for life.”
“People say a lot, but I know this: (James) Dolan loves Towns,” a league executive said.
Goodwill also reported that “The Knicks did have a chance to extend Towns before the start of 2025-26 but opted to wait. Towns, according to sources, wanted a new deal but didn’t expect one to come this season.”
Overall, it’s unclear what a playoff disaster would look like in the Knicks front office’s view. If they get by the Hawks, they will almost certainly be underdogs in a likely second round series against the Boston Celtics, so it will be hard to view things as cataclysmic should they lose that series.
However, if they lose to Atlanta, look out.
Game 3 is set for 7:00 pm ET.
The New York Knicks are currently preparing for Game 3 of their first round playof series against the Atlanta Hawks, which is slated to take place on Thursday evening on the road. The Knicks and Hawks are tied at one game apiece after New York choked down the stretch of Game 2 on Monday, relinquishing a 12-point fourth quarter lead en route to a loss.