Karl-Anthony Towns has been dominant when he is on the court so far in the Eastern Conference Finals. He proved yet again in Game 5 that no one on the Pacers roster can keep him out of the paint or away from the rim. The problem is, he has found himself in foul trouble far too often, many times due to unnecessary fouls. It is a problem he creates for himself, and it could cost the Knicks.
Even with an injured right knee that caused him to labor up and down the court in Game 5, Towns was an unstoppable force. He finished the game with 24 points, three assists, and 13 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the floor.
It was business as usual for Towns, who is averaging 25 points, 1.8 assists, and 11.8 rebounds in the Eastern Conference Finals. He has been a nightmare for Indiana to defend, both in the paint and at the 3-point line. He is shooting 68.8 percent at the rim and 42.3 percent on threes, while adding elite rebounding.
The problem for Towns is that he hasn't always been able to remain on the floor. Far too often, he has found himself on the bench due to foul trouble, a problem he recognizes and knows he needs to fix.
Speaking to the Inside the NBA crew following the game, Charles Barkley said, “I gotta criticize you, man. Why are you getting those dumb fouls?” To which Towns responded, “God only knows.”, before adding, "I gotta do a much better job."
Towns fouls too much
Towns isn't wrong, he fouls too much and too often. So far in the playoffs, he leads all players with 75 fouls. He also leads all players with 15 offensive fouls. Towns is a big body, and often times he lumbers into the paint like a runaway train. However, those fouls you live with, it is the fouls like the one shown in the video below that are maddening.
This isn't a new problem for Towns, he found himself in foul trouble quite frequently in the regular season as well. In fact, he spent 65 quarters in foul trouble in the regular season, the second-most of any player in the league.
Towns is too good and too important to take himself out of games for senseless reasons. The Knicks have very little room for error, and they need Towns to remain on the floor if they are going to complete the upset.