Knicks Notes: Karl Anthony-Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Mikal Bridges

Karl-Anthony Towns finally looked like the version the Knicks assumed he would be and he usually is.

He went for 33 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a 119–102 home win over the Wizards, and coach Mike Brown said this is the exact rhythm KAT’s been searching for.

“KAT was a monster,” Brown said, via Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “He was a monster on the glass, he was really good defensively, he was a monster inside, outside. He’s starting to feel and find his rhythm in what we’re trying to do.”

Towns had been under 20 points in three of the first six games. Not Monday.

“Really, we’re all figuring it out,” Towns said. “Getting better every day. … Still a work in progress.”

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— Brown is also tightening the rotation. It was nine deep in each of the past two nights. Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson came off the bench vs. the Bulls.

Then with Mitchell Robinson sitting for load–management on Monday, Shamet started and Guerschon Yabusele got second-unit run.

“The last two nights were the best I’ve done for them in terms of rotations,” Brown said.

— Robinson has appeared in just 33 total minutes, as relayed by Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. Brown said ankle management will continue all year, whatever the medical staff tells him.

— Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges keeps checking every box at 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals, wrote Mike Vaccaro of the Post. And Hart, banged up with hand/ankle issues, still delivered 12–10–5 in 26 minutes.

“Little frustrating,” Hart said, “but it comes with the territory.”