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Karl-Anthony Towns praised by Mike Brown despite 8-point display in Knicks loss

Originally posted on HITC | By James Shearman | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 12:25 PM ET

Karl-Anthony Towns managed just eight points as the New York Knicks fell to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges combined for 60 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a Bucks side led by Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Towns had only one shot in the opening half and struggled in the second, hitting just two of his eleven attempts.

Despite the low scoring output, Knicks head coach Mike Brown came out in support of Towns’ overall contribution to the game.

Mike Brown backs Karl-Anthony Towns after quiet night

While Brown admitted that Towns’ offensive production was lacking, he praised other aspects of his performance, emphasising that scoring isn’t always the most important part of a player’s contribution.

The coach also pointed out that Towns is still adjusting to playing with Brunson and Bridges since joining from Minnesota. “They’re still getting used to each other,” Brown said. “It’s going to take some time.”

Anyone expecting Brown to call out Towns after the game was clearly off the mark. Instead, he pointed to what he saw as a strong first half from his big man.

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The head coach highlighted Towns’ early decisions and playmaking, saying: “He touched the paint. He started the dominoes. He sprayed the ball and got guys wide-open looks. Or those guys drove into the paint and scored or sprayed it.”

Brown continued: “It all started with KAT. KAT played a remarkable first half offensively. Sometimes it doesn’t show up in your field goal attempts when you play a remarkable game.”

Towns didn’t find much rhythm on offense after halftime either, but he did finish with seven rebounds and six assists in his 32 minutes.

Karl-Anthony Towns addresses offensive struggles in Knicks loss to Bucks

Towns admitted after the game that he didn’t do enough for the Knicks, especially on the offensive side. He felt his first half was decent but took full responsibility for not delivering in the second half.

“I’ve got to do whatever is needed to win,” Towns said. “In the first half, I played how we needed me to play. I felt the game switched up, and I tried to get going just in case we needed me, and I just didn’t make a shot.”

“I pressed a little bit too much today [in the second half]. I have more experience than to do that. I didn’t do what we needed to do to win tonight. That’s on me, and I take full responsibility for that. Accountability is a big thing in this locker room, and I’ll always do that.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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