The New York Knicks were down by 18 at one point against the Houston Rockets in the fourth quarter on Saturday night, at risk of losing their second straight game by double digits. However, star big man Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a team-high 25 points (10-of-15 field-goal shooting, 3-of-3 3-point) and led his squad to a 108-106 victory at Madison Square Garden.
The game was on ESPN, meaning that the “Inside the NBA” crew covered it. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal — who shares the “Inside” studio with Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny “The Jet” Smith — sounded off about Towns pregame.
Advertisement
“You’re going to have to decide who you want to be. Inside or outside, but whatever you decide, you have to be consistent,” the Hall of Famer O’Neal said. “When he plays like that, me and Chuck do not have a problem. But he gets in foul trouble too much. He plays really silly. Again, if I were on his team, I would look him in the face and say, ‘KAT, we need you. There’s big aspirations for the Knicks, and you’re playing soft.'”
O’Neal sang a different song when the crew interviewed Towns postgame.
“Beginning of the game, I said you were playing soft because I’ve seen you at times when you play great,” he said. “What you must understand in New York, you need to be great for you guys to win a championship. There’s high aspirations. … Of course they’re gonna talk about Brunson, but it’s you and your play; you have to be dominant. You responded very very well, you played well, you played in the paint, that’s how you should always play. … Being from Jersey, good ain’t good enough. You had a great game tonight, I’m proud of you.”
Advertisement
Karl-Anthony Towns Must Follow Shaquille O’Neal’s Advice
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
(Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
O’Neal’s pregame criticism echoed what Towns detractors typically say: He’s not physical enough. There are times when the 7-foot, 248-pounder doesn’t take advantage of his frame by muscling opponents in the paint and inviting contact.
However, Towns did just that on Saturday. The six-time All-Star scored 14 points from two-point range and also led New York with seven rebounds. His play helped put Brunson in position to knock down a 15-foot pull-up shot with 29.5 seconds left to put the Knicks up 105-103, and they never relinquished the lead.
Advertisement
Towns is 33rd in the NBA with 19.9 points per game (47.1% FG, 35.7% 3-point) and second with 11.8 rebounds over 31.4 minutes. Meanwhile, New York is third in the Eastern Conference at 36-21, one game behind the Boston Celtics for second.
Up next for the Knicks is a road matchup with the Chicago Bulls on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
Related: Fans Do Not Like Knicks’ Roster Move on Saturday
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.