New York Knicks Can't Afford Another Karl-Anthony Towns Disappearing Act vs. Spurs In NBA Finals

With a 2-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs, the New York Knicks continue to be in the driver's seat of the 2026 NBA Finals.

They won't remain there, though, if Karl-Anthony Towns' offensive involvement plummets the way it did in Game 3. 

After averaging 19.5 points and four assists through the first two tilts, New York's big man mustered just 11 points and one assist in Wednesday's 115-111 loss. That isn't good enough. Or even close to it.

Other problems bubbled to the surface in Game 3 as well, including the uneven play of Jalen Brunson. But the Knicks' failure to engage their only other offensive engine was—and remains—the most damning issue of all. 

Karl-Anthony Towns was a Ghost in New York's Loss to the Spurs

Getting bogged down by Towns' number of field-goal attempts isn't the move. Ten shots, including just two from beyond the arc, is too few on the surface. But he's seldom ultra-high volume even when operating at the peak of his powers.

Towns' time spent on the ball is more indicative of the struggle these Knicks can't afford to navigate. They reimagined his role after Game 3 of the first round, turning him into more of a playmaking hub at the top of the floor. Putting the ball in his hands increased movement around him, lightened Brunson's from-scratch creation and empowered Towns to be more aggressive as a scorer and live-dribble passer.

The rest is, quite literally, history. The Knicks rattled off 13 consecutive victories while breaking point-differential records left and right. 

Though New York has not always stayed true to Towns-as-the-hub looks, it has never entirely abandoned them. Until Game 3 against the Spurs. 

Towns finished the night with 45 touches in 38 minutes. That is a stark difference from the 64 touches he had in Game 2 and the 63 touches he had in Game 1. Especially when you consider he didn't crack 35 minutes played in either of his first two outings.

San Antonio deserves credit for tweaking its defensive approach and inviting this downturn. Moving Victor Wembanyama to Josh Hart or a corner shooter and putting a small (like Stephon Castle) on Towns gummed up the Knicks' process. They may have posted their highest offensive rating of the series, but the execution generally wasn't pretty.

It wasn't that the Knicks couldn't get KAT the ball. This felt more like them opting against it. Bringing Castle into the action by using Towns as a screener isn't necessarily a win for the offense. Wemby also curtailed a lot of the off-ball movement from which Towns benefits as the facilitator just by existing around the rim.

Still, this vanishing act isn't exclusive to funky matchups. New York struggled to involve KAT even when it seemingly had no other options. 

Bench-heavier units without Brunson were more inclined to put the ball in the hands of Mikal Bridges or Jose Alvarado. In the 12-plus minutes Towns played without JB, he had zero assists and attempted four shots, one of which was a put-back off an offensive rebound.

This says nothing of the KAT's fourth-quarter usage. It's been in the gutter all series. Towns has scored zero points on six total shots and zero free-throw attempts despite leading the Knicks in minutes played during the final frame.

The Knicks are Screwed if This Doesn't Change

On the bright side, New York is fully aware of Towns' diminished involvement. On the not-so-bright side, nobody said anything after Game 3 that's particularly inspiring.

Head coach Mike Brown acknowledged the problem without committing to a change in approach. Towns offered similar sentiments when asked about it. Brunson provided a mega vote of confidence to those who are worried about…his relationship with KAT.

Maybe that's the key here. This isn't the same Knicks team that belly flopped into a dysfunctional post-NBA Cup haze. They are more adaptable and connected. They don't right the ship against Atlanta and then sweep Philadelphia and Cleveland if they're not. 

The Knicks are now also working with proof of concept. Brunson has delivered more clutch heroics in these Finals, but Towns has been their best player. Even in Game 3, as he was tumbling down the offensive pecking order, he remained an active and engaged defender. New York has outscored San Antonio with him on the floor by 31 points—in a series with a combined three-game differential of seven points.

For their sake, the Knicks must go out of their way to get Towns more touches and opportunities. And yes, the responsibility falls to the collective. Towns has moments in which he can fight harder for positioning, but he will always be someone who requires the ball finding him in the half-court. 

The Knicks know this. All of it. Right down to Towns being better suited to withstand the physicality of the Spurs' defense better than anyone else. 

Playing in a way that actively ignores weeks of evidence to the contrary is equal parts inexplicable and, for fans, infuriating. Towns entered Game 3 generating Finals MVP buzz. He exited it like a footnote.

If this keeps up, it won't just make life harder for the Knicks or derail another game. 

It'll cost them a title.

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Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.