This is Catching Strays, the Daily News’ regular Knicks rundown for the quotes, stats and storylines that didn’t make a headline.

Today: Karl-Anthony Towns is on the doorstep of breaking Willis Reed’s record, Jalen Brunson’s next chance at Rick Carlisle, and both teams hunting their first NBA Cup win of the season.

Towns can take Reed’s record with 10 and 10 at Indiana

All-Star Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns took a franchise record into Friday’s game at Indiana.

Towns opened the season with 11 straight double-doubles, tying Willis Reed (1970-71) for the longest double-double streak to start a season in Knicks history. He finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in Wednesday’s 115-107 loss to Cleveland at the Garden, the night he pulled even with Reed’s mark.

A 10-point, 10-rebound night on Friday would give him the record.

Reed’s run covered the first 11 games of 1970-71, from Oct. 13 through Oct. 31, 1970. It ended Nov. 2 at San Francisco, when the Hall of Fame center grabbed 13 rebounds but scored six points in a 111-99 win. Like Towns, Reed was opening a title defense.

Towns hadn’t known about the record when he was asked after Tuesday’s 117-85 win over Milwaukee, the night his 21 points and 16 rebounds made it 10 straight.

“I didn’t know that. I just know that this team right now, we’re on a good winning streak, we’re playing good basketball, and that’s the most important thing,” Towns said. “That’s what the fans really want to hear about.”

With Mitchell Robinson gone to Boston, Towns has taken on more of the glass alongside Andre Drummond.

“Of course, we have one of the best rebounders of this generation, Andre Drummond here, but I want to do my part,” the starting big man said.

Mike Brown called Towns “a double-double machine at a high level” that night, and said the rebounding has little to do with leaping.

“He’s just got a nose or a knack for the ball. You know he doesn’t jump real high, but he’s long, and he understands angles,” the head coach said.

Towns leads the NBA with 11 double-doubles (Giannis Antetokounmpo is next with nine) and is averaging 20.9 points and 13.5 rebounds on 55% shooting and 39.6% from three. Counting the four straight he posted to close 2025-26, he has 15 consecutive regular-season double-doubles. He had 56 in 75 games last season and an 18-game run in 2024-25, his first season in New York.

Indiana has seen this before.

Towns averaged 24.8 points and 12.2 rebounds in the 2025 East finals, which the Pacers won in six games, and had 22 and 11 in the Knicks’ 136-110 win over Indiana on March 17.

Brunson gets another crack at Carlisle

Jalen Brunson’s history with Rick Carlisle starts in Dallas, where Carlisle coached him for three seasons (2018-21). Since then it has run through Indianapolis, where Carlisle’s Pacers knocked the Knicks out of the playoffs in the 2024 East semifinals and the 2025 East finals.

Brunson won the regular-season matchup last season. He averaged 31.3 points in three games against Indiana, including 40 in a 137-134 overtime loss at the Garden on Feb. 10. That is still the last 40-point game by a Knick. New York went 3-1 against the Pacers and 2-0 in Indianapolis.

It wasn’t always friendly. In the Knicks’ 101-92 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 13, when Brunson scored 29, Carlisle was called for a technical foul after a sideline exchange with his former point guard.

Brunson has insisted the past stays there.

“The past is the past,” he said ahead of the 2024 playoff series. “Rick welcomed me into the league and helped me become the player [I am today] and helped me grow from Day 1.”

Brunson averaged 26 points per game entering Friday’s game against the Pacers. Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard entered with back-to-back double-doubles: 12 points and 12 assists against Dallas, then 17 points and 10 assists against Washington.

Both teams are still hunting a first NBA Cup group win. Haliburton is out

The Knicks (6-5) and Pacers (4-8) meet at 7 p.m. ET in Indianapolis in an East Group B game, with both teams 0-1 in group play and still looking for a first Cup win. New York dropped its opener, 98-93, at Philadelphia on Oct. 30. Indiana lost its opener, 145-125, at Miami the same night. Cleveland (1-0, plus-24) and Miami (1-0, plus-20) sit atop the group; the 76ers are 1-1.

The official NBA injury report issued at 8 a.m. ET Friday listed Tyrese Haliburton out with a left hamstring strain, T.J. McConnell probable with a right hamstring strain and Aaron Nesmith questionable with right knee soreness. The Knicks had no players listed.

Rick Carlisle, looking ahead to New York’s rebounding, put it plainly.

“Right now, we just need grit on this team,” he said. “We need grit and guts. We need a bunch of guys (who) value the ball. … New York’s a great rebounding team, so we’re going to have to get some things fixed (by) Friday.”

A win Friday would lift the Knicks out of a last-place tie with Indiana in the group, with the better point differential (minus-5 to Indiana’s minus-20). Cleveland visits Miami in the other Group B game Friday.

After Indiana, the next stop is Toronto

After Friday’s game at Indiana, the Knicks visit the Raptors on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. Toronto fell 123-112 at Philadelphia on Thursday, dropping to 5-7. The 76ers improved to 10-3.

New York then plays Toronto again Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, two games in three nights at Scotiabank Arena.