Knicks Center Takes Lesson From Rockets Loss

The New York Knicks have to adjust after losing to the Houston Rockets.
Nov 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) controls the ball as New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Nov 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) controls the ball as New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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It's only been a week since New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns scored 44 points in a game against the Miami Heat. However, he's been unable to match that total in the two games combined since.

The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets' defenses were able to find ways to contain Towns, holding him to under 50 percent shooting from the field.

Towns spoke about having to adapt to different defensive looks teams give him game in and game out.

“I’ve seen a lot of defenses in my career, so I’m just going to be prepared for whatever the defense and the opponent’s game plan is," Towns said h/t Posting and Toasting.

Defenses around the league operate differently depending on the opponent, and adjustments for the offense are usually easier to make in a loss after a win. After the Knicks' loss to the Rockets earlier this week, Towns and his teammates will look to make some changes.

“I mean there’s always something to learn every game. I don’t think there’s a time we aren’t learning, especially in the playoffs. Obviously we’ve got to get there," Towns said. "You wish you could learn all these things and find ways to win. But obviously it’s an expensive lesson we went through [Monday]. We’re a team that’s growing and we’re going to continue to grow until the last horn. Good film to watch early in the season.”

The Knicks are only six games into the season, so there is a lot of room for growth and development as the season goes in. If the team can adapt to all of the different looks the rest of the league will give them, they will be in good shape in the grand scheme of everything.

The Knicks are back in action tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.