For 68 minutes, it looked like the game could have gone either way. Despite missing their stars, the Mavericks came out red-hot. Quite a surprise. You blame luck, but there was no fairy tale ending. The last laugh ultimately belonged to the Knicks while the visitors fell apart. But this was just the hill, but they have the mountain ahead. Confused? Well, this wasn’t the end of their troubles. Their major concern has just begun. That’s when Karl-Anthony Towns decided to step up to deliver a bold message to the Knicks’ locker room that could help them.

Towns was thrilled after the 128-113 win. And why not? His triple-double, 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, was shining brightly under the spotlight. But the 7-footer prioritized the team’s victory over his individual performance. That’s how he believes the fans see it, and that’s what he wants to give them. “New York appreciates the wins, more appreciates the wins more than the triple doubles. It was perfect for the city that they got to get it win this day,” KAT said in the locker room interview. But it’s not going to be easy from here on. Their packed schedule could very well weigh them down.

It’s the back-to-back games. The team has secured a safe third spot on the Eastern table. But with the playoffs just weeks away, risks are high. Now, tight scheduling. When KAT heard, his shock was clear. But he quickly composed himself, stating what needs to be done. “Do jobs at a high level and give ourselves a chance to make the game easier for ourselves. I think that’s going to be the most important thing,” the 30-year-old shared.

Karl-Anthony Towns stated the team’s goal loud and clear. “We’re coming down to the stretch,” he said. “You know what? We want to accomplish, and nothing’s impossible. So, we just got to keep telling you to put ourselves in position to win and lead the league in the games played.” The only way he emphasized they could achieve it was by maintaining consistency and winning. Tonight, they would face the Clippers, with the Bucks next up on Friday. So, they need to stay prepared while keeping themselves healthy.

While the triple-double wasn’t a big deal for Karl-Anthony Towns, as he’s been doing it week in and week out, getting onto the court was a significant moment for his teammate last night.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ 24YO teammate shares emotional confession

Madison Square Garden witnessed a new face on the floor during the game, Kevin McCullar Jr. You might remember him from last year’s draft. The 24-year-old was initially drafted by the Suns, but fate had other plans. The New York franchise acquired him on the same night and handed him a two-way contract. His impressive performance with the G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, caught attention, and once he cleared his medical status, he was on the court, playing his first three minutes with the Knicks.

But his journey from Kansas College to the Knicks hasn’t been so smooth. It was long and filled with obstacles. Kevin had a knee injury in college that kept him from the NCAA tournament. The injury continued to trouble him for a while, but after surgery, it has finally been fully repaired. But what about the mental toll?

“It’s been rough but I’ve been keeping my head on straight on,” the rookie said in the postgame interview. “Everybody’s been supporting me here, and I’m just glad that I’m back playing now.” Reflecting on the hard times and how he is overcoming that phase, he emotionally added, “Just not being on the court, growing up, that’s all I’ve known is playing basketball, so when it gets taken away from you for a period of time, on, you know, just rehabbing, running every day. Just controlling what I can control and staying positive along the way.”

In those three minutes he played, he scored two points. While it may not seem like a huge success, hopefully, this is just the beginning, and we’ll see Kevin make more appearances. After all, the team will need fresh legs for the back-to-back games.