The New York Knicks' season has been a rollercoaster, even according to Jalen Brunson himself. Their win on Monday night over the Atlanta Hawks was far from being free of dramatics, with the Knicks needing a replay-review to determine that a half-court heave wouldn't send them to overtime.
The best part of the night may have come after the game was over, though, when Karl-Anthony Towns told MSG Networks in his postgame interview that the win made him feel like this game was part of the Knicks' successful 2024-25 campaign that concluded with their deepest playoff run in 25 years.
New York getting back to their crunch-time customs is a great sign ahead of the playoffs, especially given the gigantic expectations looming over them as they look to improve on last year's Eastern Conference Finals appearance. If the Knicks can consistently be the team they were last year – that teams couldn't find a way to beat in close games – it'd be a great way to get their playoff run started.
The Knicks are rediscovering how to find ways to win, if that makes sense
Towns shined against the Hawks, stuffing the stat sheet with 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block. He shot 9-12 on field goals, which included making two of four attempts from behind the 3-point arc. He was awarded just one free throw, which he made, over the course of his 32 minutes of playing time.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 21p/12r/6a/2s/1b on 9-12 FG, 2-4 3PT, only one free throw attempt
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) April 7, 2026
Is that good? I thought I was supposed to be panicking about his role in the offense.
KAT postgame on MSG: “Tonight reminded me a little of last year, man. We found a way to get it done.”
After the narrow win, the big man told MSG Networks that the Knicks powering through the Hawks' numerous comeback attempts made him feel like the team had gotten back to the heartbeat of last year's success: persistence and desperation to win.
“Tonight reminded me a little of last year, man. We found a way to get it done," Towns said on the Knicks' regional broadcast.
Knicks need to be able to win different kinds of games to make title run
No NBA team, regardless of how much of a title contender they seem to be, is going to win every single game in a blowout. The true merit of the league's top teams is tested each year by late-game situations in which the court shrinks, the game slows down, and every dribble carries the weight of a firetruck.
The Knicks cut their teeth last season on being the kind of group that makes it out of those situations, however battered, having won the game. That resilience and grit hasn't been there this season to that same extent, leading to inconsistencies and frustrations that have surrounded the locker room for several months.
But that win on Monday, and what Towns had to say after it, are great signs for a New York group that might just be ready to shock the world in the postseason – by actually following through on their sky-high expectations.