The New York Knicks have a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs after a 105-104 win in Game 2 on Friday. Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the game with his 21 points, 13 rebounds and three assists on 66.7% shooting.
Towns’ dominant play on the boards has been a major problem for the Spurs. Although they have the 7-foot-4 star Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio has struggled to outrebound the Knicks because of KAT. Through the first two games, Towns has averaged 12.5 rebounds, the most out of both teams.
Because of his strong play, he earned high praise from former NBA star Charles Barkley. After the Knicks’ victory, Barkley said on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” that KAT is deserving of the Finals MVP honor.
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
“He’s been criticized in Minnesota, he’s been criticized in New York. The MVP of the Finals is gonna be Karl-Anthony Towns,” Barkley said. “He has played two of the best games I’ve ever seen a big man play. He was great in Game 1, he was great in Game 2. That man earned his flowers.”
"The MVP of the Finals is gonna be Karl-Anthony Towns. That man earned his flowers"
Charles Barkley has LOVED the play of Karl-Anthony Towns in the first 2 games 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/GxwXO0SK4I— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 6, 2026
Towns gave most of the credit to his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz. During his postgame interview, the Knicks star said that he prayed to his mother during the team’s final defensive possession. The Spurs had the ball with 7.5 seconds left in the game, and Wembanyama shot a mid-range jumper. Unfortunately for San Antonio, he missed the potential game-winner.
“I needed a stop,” Towns said when asked what he prayed for on the bench. “It’s amazing as you go through life, if you lose a parent, if anyone’s listening, you just look for signs. I’ll take any sign I could get and I prayed to her strong before that possession.
"I take it as a sign my mom was here with me." @KarlTowns on the emotional Knicks Game 2 win 💙🧡 pic.twitter.com/FRU8sR6ipk
— ESPN (@espn) June 6, 2026
“I take it as a sign my mom was here with me, so I appreciate her so much.”
Victor Wembanyama Admitted to Struggling Against Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns’ ability to spread the defense has been a problem for Wembanyama and the Spurs. In the previous series, San Antonio was able to use Wembanyama as a zone defender with the main goal of protecting the paint. However, the team cannot use that tactic against the Knicks and has to put the star big man on KAT most of the time.
The Spurs have not figured out how to handle Towns, and Wembanyama has noticed the difference in how they defend the Knicks.
“It’s very different from previous series. It’s bringing us into difficult areas because they’re good players, he’s a good player. We need to figure it out.”
Wemby on his matchup with Karl-Anthony Towns
"It's very different from previous series. It's bringing us into difficult areas because they're good players, he's a good player. We need to figure it out.” pic.twitter.com/Y5mvTrLFEF— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) June 6, 2026
Towns and the Knicks will host the Spurs in Game 3 on Monday to try to improve their standing in the series.
Related: Karl-Anthony Towns’ Heartfelt Message on Late Mother After Knicks’ Game 2 Win