New York Knicks News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the New York Knicks react during the shooting stars competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Knicks Star Gets Last Laugh Against Karl-Anthony Towns

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 2:00 PM ET

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ 2026 NBA All-Star weekend was a great opportunity for New York Knicks players Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson to further their friendship, which has been strengthening over time.

Although the new format temporarily put them on different teams, the pair demonstrated that their collaboration goes much deeper than the game.

Towns talked about the experience of sharing basketball's biggest platform with his All-Star partner and disclosed his deep respect for Brunson, the Knicks captain. The star players' open and heartfelt words are a testament to how much their friendship means to each other in New ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌York.

Towns Celebrates All-Star Partnership with Brunson

When asked about having Brunson alongside him at All-Star weekend, Towns had nothing but nice things to say.

"It's a blessing to have a teammate with me at All-Star weekend, someone so greatly talented like Jalen Brunson," Towns stated. "It's really cool to be able to know that after All-Star we're gonna go be teammates."

KAT: "It's a blessing to have a teammate with me at All-Star weekend, someone so greatly talented like Jalen Brunson. It's really cool to be able to know that after All-Star we're gonna go be teamates" pic.twitter.com/ekdS7LULvW
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) February 16, 2026

The sentiment was mutual. Brunson joked about facing his teammate during the competition, saying "I knew no matter what shot I shot, the ball was going in" when describing Towns guarding him in the All-Star Game.

"I knew no matter what shot I shot, the ball was going in."

Jalen Brunson on Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns guarding him in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game! pic.twitter.com/eLQWvcmhgi
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2026

All-Star Performances Showcase Dynamic Duo

Brunson‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ secured a starter position for Team USA Stripes after posting an average of 27 points and 6.1 assists this season.

As Team Stripes edged out Towns' Team World 48-45, he added eight points on 3-of-5 shooting along with two assists and one rebound. Even though he wasn't at his best, Brunson's efficient play made the difference in winning the game.

Meanwhile, Towns was one of the reserves for Team World. With an average of 11.9 rebounds per game, he was ranked second in the league. In Game 1, he scored 10 points, including two three-pointers, and in Game 3, he added six points on 2-for-2 shooting with two rebounds.

Championship Aspirations Await After Break

The Knicks are at 35-20 and are set to enter the next phase of the season. They are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference, with the Pistons first and the Celtics second at 35-19. As‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ OG Anunoby was missing due to injuries, the next games will be a great challenge for the All-Star pair to give even more.

To get New York through this very important phase, Towns must increase his scoring alongside Brunson. The center's ability to overpower the post and challenge opposing defenses with his rebounding will be crucial.

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

More must-reads: