How Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns became Victor Wembanyama’s Kryptonite in win

Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks faced a litmus test when they hosted Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Towns, in particular, needed to embrace the challenge of matching up against Wembanyama.

So, that’s exactly what he did.

The Knicks beat the Spurs, 114-89, to end their 11-game winning streak, with Towns playing a huge role. He did not have his usual offensive production, scoring only 12 points, well below his average. But he was stellar on the defensive end, making life miserable for Wembanyama.

According to ESPN Insights, the Knicks’ strategy to assign Towns to Wembanyama worked perfectly.

“The Knicks were at their best defensively with Karl-Anthony Towns guarding Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs shot 26% from three on Sunday, including 2-14 (14%) on plays where KAT guarded Wemby,” read the post on X.

“Wemby’s -15 plus/minus was his 2nd worst this season.”

The Knicks were at their best defensively with Karl-Anthony Towns guarding Victor Wembanyama.

The Spurs shot 26% from three on Sunday, including 2-14 (14%) on plays where KAT guarded Wemby

Wemby's -15 plus/minus was his 2nd worst this season pic.twitter.com/H8zlf6ZQaF

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 1, 2026

Wembanyama finished with 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting, 13 rebounds, and four blocks. He, however, also had a game-high seven turnovers.

The 30-year-old Towns, who also grabbed 14 rebounds, is not known for his defensive acumen, but he proved that he can lock in when needed. Some have also criticized him for allegedly being soft and unwilling to get physical, but he showed a different facet of himself against the Spurs.

Mohamed Diawara and Mitchell Robinson also had solid contributions at the pivot position, combining for 18 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

The Knicks improved to 39-22, while the Spurs fell to 43-17.

New York will face the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

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