Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns gives ultimate complement to MSG fans after Game 1 win

The New York Knicks stole victory from the jaws of defeat in Game 1, winning in overtime 114-103 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. There were clearly a lot of factors at play in the win: Jalen Brunson’s tenacity, OG Anunoby’s defense, and Mikal Bridges’ shotmaking proved to be important. However, there was also one big factor that helped in the win… the crowd.

Despite being down by as much as 22 points, the Garden’s cheers for the Knicks never died. From the first Brunson shot that kickstarted the comeback, Knicks fans continued to cheer for the team. New York star center Karl-Anthony Towns praised the fervent Madison Square Garden crowd for their efforts.

“Anyone who’s been to the Garden can tell you, when the crowd is in the game, and you feel that energy, you feel unstoppable,” Towns told SportsCenter. “Our fans are the best fans in the world. They give us so much energy. They give us so much love. Whenever we’re feeling like the game’s getting away from us, our fans put us back in the game.”

“I really, truly feel the fans were the ones that got us this win tonight,” Towns added. “They gave us the energy to fight back and gave us the motivation to get it done.”

It seemed like all hope was lost for the Knicks when they went down by 22 points with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. They could not buy a single bucket on offense; the Cavs defense disrupted their flow constantly. In their darkest time, though, the Knicks went to their best option: give Brunson the best matchup he can take offensively. Brunson started going to work against James Harden, punishing the Cavs’ switches constantly.

With every Brunson made basket, the Garden erupted in cheers. This spurred the Knicks to push even further, locking down the Cavs on defense and letting Brunson go to work on the other side. Even when the Cavs made a few baskets, the momentum was firmly on New York’s side. That momentum continued into overtime, where they easily handled their rivals and won the game.

Towns himself had a quiet game, scoring just 13 points and struggling to make a positive impact against the Cavs. He’s looking to bounce back and give the Knicks a 2-0 lead in Game 2.

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