Karl-Anthony Towns continues to torment Nuggets MVP

Towns had 30 points and 15 rebounds as the New York Knicks beat Jokic's Denver Nuggets Monday night, 145-118. The Knicks' new center only needed 15 field goal attempts to do it, going 12-for-15 and making both his three-pointers in a blowout win on the road.

It's the third time Towns has shocked Jokic's team, and two of the three games were blowouts. 

When Towns' former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, were trailing in the second round last May, 3-2, Towns was +25 in their huge Gane 6 win, pulling down 13 rebounds. In the clinching Game 7, he and his teammates came back from a 20-point deficit, and he put up 23 points and 13 rebounds.

Towns has been criticized for his defense, but his offense more than made up for it on Monday. The Knicks are scoring the third-most points in the NBA this season despite playing at the NBA's third-slowest pace, and Towns is leading the way with 26.3 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, with three per game coming on the offensive glass. He's making 47.1 percent of his three-pointers, which has dramatically opened up the Knicks' offense.

The threat of Towns opens up the lane for Jalen Brunson, who is taking 30 percent more shots within three feet of the basket than last season. It also leaves OG Anunoby open more often as teams shade defenders to Towns, and he's delivered with a career-high 42.2 three-point percentage and 19.1 points per game. He was a monster Monday night, putting up 40 points on 16-for-23 shooting. 

Not bad for a player known for his defense.

Why does Towns do well against Jokic? Perhaps it's because, while Towns isn't a good rim protector, he does put effort into defense, and he's still seven feet tall and strong. It's not like any center in the NBA can truly slow down the Joker, but Towns did well in the playoffs, getting Jokic to shoot from further out. After all, if you're bad at rim protection, it helps to get the player you're guarding away from the rim.

Towns is thriving on his new team, the Knicks, which has won five out of six games. Luckily for Jokic, the Knicks play in the East, so he won't have to worry about Towns in the playoffs until the Finals.