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Knicks Star on Questionable Fouling Tendencies: 'God Only Knows'
May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dunks against Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) in the fourth quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Karl-Anthony Towns has delivered the goods in his Eastern Conference Finals debut, combining big nights with clutch heroics to extend the series about as much as anyone could have expected out of him.

He's now moved past his early-series speed bump to help spur multiple wins for the Knicks, pushing the Indiana Pacers to a sixth game after his 24 points in last night's potential elimination game. He continued to attack his match in Myles Turner, utilizing the space created by his jump shot to drive and finish strong with consistency.

As good as the highs of last night's newest 24-piece were, it was still a KAT game in full. He notched five fouls for the second time in three games on his usual slew of poorly-timed pushes and shoves, prompting the NBA on TNT crew to grill him on his nagging habit even amidst his big scoring game.

He didn't have a great answer for Charles Barkley, and spoke candidly on the quibble every viewer seems to have with his game. As talented as a shooter and scorer as Towns has been over his decade of NBA service, he's always allowed his emotions to get the better of him with fouls out of frustration, which never seem to get by the referees and always stymy his own team's momentum.

He agreed with the analysts that it's something he must remember to temper in positions loaded with these kind of stakes, especially during a series as important as the one Towns has had to this point. He and Jalen Brunson are everything to an otherwise-listless New York offense, and it's unlikely they'd even have made it this far in the series, let alone the playoffs, without his contributions.

Behind his newest gem and despite of his antics, KAT's Knicks now survive to fight for at least two more days. They'll scratch for the right to a Game 7 in Saturday's return to Indiana, where the Knicks look to tie the Pacers 3-3 and upset their way to the NBA Finals.

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

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