Feb 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the first half against Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns Explains Slow Start Against Pistons

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 8:50 AM ET

The New York Knicks lost 126-111 to the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden, and Karl-Anthony Towns took too long to get going, and by the time he did, the game was mostly gone.

According to the New York Daily News, Towns addressed the slow start after the loss, pointing directly to Mike Brown's offensive system as the reason he wasn't more involved early.

"Our offense is our offense," he said. "It's been that way all year. So we have our system and we're gonna — regardless of who's in the game or not in the game — we run the system that we have implemented for our team to the best of our abilities."

It wasn't a dodge, exactly. It was Towns acknowledging reality: the Knicks don't change their approach based on matchups, even when a matchup screams for adjustment. Detroit was playing without a traditional starting center, a setup built for a player like Towns to feast, but New York stuck to its script anyway.

Towns spent the first half watching the game rather than shaping it, scoring just two points against a frontcourt that had no real answer for him. The opportunity was right there, and the Knicks simply didn't take it.

Karl-Anthony Towns Finally Took Over, Just Too Late

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The third quarter told a different story. Towns scored 12 points in that stretch alone, going 3-of-5 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. He finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and a steal, solid numbers on paper, but they masked how lopsided the first half was.

"Just trying to make a play. Be aggressive and play-make. Got a chance to get some shots up, and I wanted to capitalize on those opportunities," Towns said. "I'm happy I was able to hopefully give us a spark, try to start the third quarter on a strong note. What I definitely wanted to, if I could control anything in the third, was get us off to a quick start. I'm happy I was able to do that and find chances to impose my will in the game."

By then, the damage was done. The Pistons had built enough of a cushion in the first half that even Jalen Brunson's 33 points couldn't pull New York back.

For a player of Towns' caliber, putting up his lowest scoring output since his rookie year raises real questions, and nights where he disappears for an entire half don't help quiet the noise around his fit in this offense.

The broader issue is a structural one. If New York wants to compete deep into the playoffs, they have to find ways to create more opportunities for their star players early in games, not just in moments of desperation.

The ability is clearly there, but waiting until the third quarter to unlock it against a center-less team is a problem New York has to solve before the playoffs arrive.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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