Karl-Anthony Towns Is a 'Really Good Defender' When He 'Wants To,' Knicks HC Mike Brown Says

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown weighed in on star center Karl-Anthony Towns' defense following the team's 113-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

"When KAT wants to, he can be a really, really good defender," Brown told reporters Sunday (0:14 mark). "Especially at his size, he can cause some problems. I've kind of said it all year long, it's a matter of whether or not he wants to do it that night. As of late, he's been really good on that end of the floor."

"I even told him today," he added. "I said, 'Your pick-and-roll defense was at a pretty high level.' That's something that we need for him to continue to do."

Towns finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists while shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc against Atlanta on Saturday. He also made his presence felt defensively, recording three blocks and one steal.

Hawks players shot just 25 percent on field goals with Towns as the primary defender in Game 1, representing his fourth-lowest percentage allowed in 51 career playoff games (via ESPN).

While the six-time All-Star has been known for his offensive prowess rather than his defensive abilities throughout his 11 years in the NBA, he's shown progress regarding the latter throughout his 2025-26 campaign.

Towns' improved defense was a factor in the Knicks owning the league's No. 7 defensive rating during the regular season (via NBA.com).

He'll now look to help New York take a 2-0 series lead over Atlanta in Game 2 on Monday. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET.