Karl-Anthony Towns Says He Must Do 'Better Job' of Avoiding Foul Trouble After Knicks' Loss to 76ers

New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns knows he can't afford to be whistled as early as he was in Tuesday's season-opening loss to the Philadelphia 76ers once his team is back on the court.

Towns told reporters that "I have to do a better job to make sure I'm available for my team."

KAT logged the fewest minutes (24) of any Knicks starter, and that was due partially to the fact he picked up his second foul at the 8:46 mark of the first quarter. Coach Mike Brown immediately subbed him out for Andre Drummond.

76ers-Knicks Highlights

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Towns got his third foul with four minutes left in the first half, and that inevitably influenced how he played for the remainder of the contest.

The Sixers were in a similar position with big man Joel Embiid, who committed three fouls across a quick stretch in the second quarter.

Philly could at least make a tactical pivot by having LeBron James shift to the 5.

"I suggested that to the guys, the coaching staff, because I just felt like the way they were calling fouls, I just felt like — and I was just being honest — I wasn't going to be as aggressive as I should be on defense, having three fouls, wanting to stay on the floor," Embiid said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I just told them I thought we should do that."

That's not something New York can do as easily with starting power forward OG Anunoby. In addition, the Knicks don't have the same center depth they once did after Mitchell Robinson signed with the Boston Celtics.

Towns isn't what you'd consider a foul-prone player. He has averaged 3.4 per game across his career. Game 1 didn't present what should be a troublesome problem all year in that regard.

More than anything, KAT's foul trouble underscored what the reigning champions lost with Robinson's exit.