Karl-Anthony Towns Faces Criticism After Knicks’ Game 3 Loss in NBA Finals

The initial acclaim for New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns in the NBA Finals has rapidly faded. The team suffered a Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, marking their first defeat in 46 days. Criticism of Towns centers on his lack of contribution during the crucial final moments of games, especially in the fourth quarter.

Analyst @NBAcrazystats on X has highlighted Towns’ underperformance, noting he has not scored in the fourth quarter across the three NBA Finals games. In the first three quarters of these games, Towns managed to score 50 points, yet he failed to add any in the fourth quarter.

Towns has played more fourth-quarter minutes than his teammates over the three games, totaling 29.1 minutes. This edge in playtime compares to guard Jalen Brunson, who has spent 26.9 fourth-quarter minutes on the court. Brunson has scored 32 points during these periods, while Towns remains scoreless.

Despite prior praise for his performance against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the first two games, Towns faced backlash after Game 3. Wembanyama scored a game-high of 32 points compared to Towns’ 11 points. ESPN’s Alan Hahn commented on the situation, stating on the program Get Up, “There were times that offense did struggle because he didn’t want the ball. And that was a problem.”

As Game 4 approaches on Wednesday, the Knicks need greater output from their 30-year-old center to challenge San Antonio effectively. Without improved contribution from Towns, the Knicks risk squandering a 2-0 series lead, potentially leading to one of the NBA Finals’ notable disappointments.