A questionable coaching decision may have cost the Knicks in a 114-109 loss to the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
With his team trailing by nine with nine minutes to go in the game, head coach Tom Thibodeau subbed out Karl-Anthony Towns in favor of Mitchell Robinson, keeping New York’s All-NBA center on the bench for just over six minutes. With Towns being the bigger scoring threat and the Knicks needing to close a deficit, many questioned why he was on the sidelines for so long.
While Towns wasn’t having his best statistical game with a -20 rating, he still scored 20 points to Robinson’s six, and the deficit (nine points) stayed the same with the backup center on the court.
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Thibodeau implied after the game that Town’s defense was questionable and that the players on the floor for the bulk of the fourth quarter gave the Knicks the best chance to win.
Here’s a look at Towns’ full stat line from Game 2.
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Karl-Anthony Towns stats Game 2 vs. Pacers
Towns was the second-leading scorer for the Knicks, scoring 20 points behind Jalen Brunson’s 36, yet he played just 28 minutes in the game, the fewest among New York’s starters. His defense was certainly suspect, but it’s fair to wonder if the Knicks needed his offense more than Robinson’s defense while trailing in the fourth quarter.
Here’s a look at Towns’ full stat line from Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
| FG | 3PT | FT | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | Pts |
| 6-14 | 2-5 | 6-6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
MORE PACERS-KNICKS GAME 2:
Why was Karl Anthony Towns benched in Game 2 vs. Pacers?
It appears that Tom Thibodeau benched Towns because of his suspect defense. He said that when the Knicks got in a hole, “The group that was in there gave us a chance.”
Tom Thibodeau explains why Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t play much in the 4th quarter:
“The group that was in there gave us a chance, searching for a way to win” pic.twitter.com/nvCMKtT0TM
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 24, 2025
Towns had some tough trips down the floor on defense, and Thibodeau may have felt that getting more stops and having a better offensive rebounder in Robinson in the game were the best ways to get back in the game. After watching his starting center rotate the way he did on the following possession, it couldn’t have inspired much confidence for the defensive-minded coach.
KAT hedging on McConnell here is one of the worst defensive coverages I have seen all season. pic.twitter.com/nS51WnRG8P
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) May 24, 2025
Is Karl-Anthony Towns injured?
It does not appear that Towns is injured, as there were no Knicks players listed on the injury report heading into Game 2. He was simply kept on the bench for much of the fourth quarter due to performance. The Knicks are going to need Towns to be at full strength for Game 3 if they hope to get back in this series.
