Karl-Anthony Towns leads Knicks to top-3 defense in opening weeks

Karl-Anthony Towns has emerged as a reliable piece of New York’s defense, a stark contrast to his reputation for inconsistency in prior seasons. Three weeks into the 2026-27 campaign, the Knicks are allowing 104.2 points per game, a figure that places them third in the NBA.

This defensive performance arrived quickly. In the previous season, the team sat at 19th in the league through January 19. It took months of poor play before they climbed to seventh in defensive rating. This year, New York is already matching that previous peak position, with a rating calculated by points allowed per 100 possessions.

The Knicks also play at the slowest pace in the league, which naturally lowers the total point count for both teams. However, their ability to stop opponents on each possession has driven their recent success.

Towns has been active off the ball throughout the early season. He cut weight in the summer and has maintained a physical edge. During Saturday’s victory over the Cavaliers, the center recorded 13 rebounds and two steals. One of those steals was pivotal in the late third quarter.

On that play, Towns stepped into Donovan Mitchell’s driving lane after a screen. He established position and prevented the All-Star from splitting the two defenders. Mitchell lost the ball and fell to the floor, setting up a pass from Towns to Landry Shamet. Shamet hit the three-pointer to cap a 25-12 run for New York.

Towns credited his five years of facing Mitchell in the Western Conference for his timing. He said the familiarity allowed him to anticipate the split attempt.

That comes with familiarity. That just comes with playing each other so much, Towns said. You know how great he is when he splits. If he gets that split over, he’s most likely dunking on somebody.

He added that experience in the league helps him recognize offensive sets and position himself correctly for his teammates.

Knicks coach Mike Brown praised Towns’ basketball intelligence. He also credited assistants Darren Erman and Brendan O’Connor for their defensive instruction. Brown said the center’s willingness to execute the game plan has produced visible results.

KAT’s got a tremendous feel, Brown said. He’s a smart dude when it comes to a lot of things, but especially when it comes to the game of basketball. His feel is at a high level, and so you couple that with the job that [O’Connor] and Erman are doing, it’s easy to see where he is because everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s tried to do.

Point guard Jalen Brunson noted that the entire roster has faced challenges from Brown. He said Towns has stepped up to meet those demands.

The Knicks have held opponents to 105 points or fewer in five of their last six games. They have also won five of those six contests.