Latest news with #JackieCruzTowns
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In high school, Karl-Anthony Towns got sick of learning experiences. Winning followed.
It was just over 55 years ago that a hobbled New York Knicks warrior provided an emotional jolt that propelled his team to victory in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. That big man was Willis Reed, and despite finishing with just four points, his mere presence is credited for elevating New York to that championship – one that remains on the Knicks' Mount Rushmore of triumphs. Advertisement On Thursday, another Knicks star, Karl-Anthony Towns, fought through an injury and willed New York to a 111-94 win – dominating the Pacers with a 24-point, 13-rebound performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. While the scenarios may be different, their 'win-at-all-costs' mentality and toughness under less-than-ideal circumstances are similar. For Towns, the desire to win was forged by his parents, Karl Towns and the late Jackie Cruz-Towns. When he was a junior at St. Joe's Metuchen during the 2012-13 basketball season, I produced "Center of Attention," a documentary about Karl-Anthony. During my reporting, I spent time with his family and soon learned that the dining room in their Piscataway, New Jersey, home was where many of life's lessons were imparted. That season, I observed Karl-Anthony's intense focus on winning and no-excuses attitude begin to crystalize after a loss to East Brunswick High School. Advertisement I was working on the documentary at the family's home when his mother suggested that the loss, the second to East Brunswick that season, should be a learning experience. Her son wasn't having it. 'We lost to East Brunswick the first day, we lost to East Brunswick today. It's always, 'You got to learn from this.' Well, sooner or later, you got to stop learning,' the then-17-year-old calmly explained to his mom. 'It's just like you being in college. OK, you go to college – you learn a lot. If you don't go and use it in the real world, your college education was useless... "And until we learn – actually learn, and decide to go on the street and use what we learn, and actually beat an elite team, for one time, this season, then we will not be what we need to be for the year.' Advertisement Jackie appeared pleased with Karl-Anthony's reasoning. After 19 practices and 12 subsequent games, Towns' St. Joe's Metuchen and East Brunswick faced each other for a third time – this one for the conference championship. St. Joe's Metuchen won, 66-63, in double-overtime. Indiana's Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the site of Saturday night's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, will no doubt be a hostile environment for Towns. Will he use what he's learned and lift the Knicks once again? We'll see soon enough. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: Young KAT got sick of learning from losses. Wins followed.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Karl-Anthony Towns' Game 3 gem — a gift to his late mother
INDIANAPOLIS — Behind Karl-Anthony Towns' right ear is a tattoo. He has to fold his ear to reveal the ink. It reads '4:/13'. It has a double meaning. The first is an ode to his favorite bible verse, Philippians 4:13, which reads, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' The second meaning goes even deeper. Five years ago, Towns' mother, Jackie Cruz-Towns, passed away during the pandemic. A young man was abruptly without his mother, his protector. Towns lost his mother on April 13, 2020. On 4/13. Advertisement '4:/13,' a collision of two spirits. Towns was reminded about his mother often on Sunday. It wasn't just another big game that he's played without her there, sitting behind his team's bench like she always did — and if she wasn't in her normal spot, Towns would find her quickly because his mother's voice always rose above even the loudest crowds, her boisterous encouragement finding his ears like the moon always finds night. Sunday's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals landed on Dominican Mother's Day. Towns' mother is Dominican. He supports his nationality proudly, even playing for the country's national basketball team. Towns' excitement in joining New York this past offseason from Minnesota was based on his upbringing. His mother was a die-hard Knicks fan. The family grew up in New Jersey, not too far from Madison Square Garden. Towns takes pride in being a Knick because his mother's roots mean so much to him. That's why Sunday was so special. Towns didn't just rescue New York's season when he rained 3s from all over Indianapolis during a 20-point fourth quarter, helping turn a near 0-3 series deficit into a 1-2 series deficit. Each shot was another gift to his mother. 'My mom's side of the family hit me up and told me they were going to be watching the game with my aunts,' Towns, who also plays with a wristband that has '4/13' stitched into it, said after the game. 'It just meant a lot that I was able to play on a day like today. Obviously, I didn't know my mom was expecting a game like tonight, but I'm just happy that this team was able to get a win on her day.' For much of the night, it didn't appear as if the Knicks were going to get that victory. New York was down by as much as 20 to the Pacers. And even when the deficit wasn't that high, the Knicks were down double digits for most of the night. New York was sloppy. It looked like a team ready to put its toes in the sand. Even Towns was nowhere to be found in the first half. He played just 13 minutes. He couldn't stop fouling. Towns had four points going into halftime while his team was facing a 13-point deficit. Advertisement Towns' third quarter wasn't any better. He had more fouls (one) than points (zero). Towns took one shot in eight minutes. Yet, the Knicks only found themselves down by 10 when the fourth quarter started, due in large part to head coach Tom Thibodeau's willingness to try anything to save the season, including leaning on a lineup that featured Landry Shamet and Delon Wright, two players who have barely played this postseason. Their efforts, along with the shot-making of Miles McBride and Josh Hart doing Josh Hart things, New York gave itself a chance. That's when Towns decided to enter the chat. Towns hit 3 after 3 in the fourth. One while falling down. He drove past Indiana's Myles Turner and Tony Bradley and finished at the rim off one foot. He finished while falling away and kissing the ball off the glass with precision. KNICKS WIN!!! — NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 26, 2025 Towns went into the fourth quarter with four points and seven rebounds. He left the arena with 24 points, 15 rebounds and a season-saving victory. 'I feel after the and-1 and he started finger-pointing is when I knew he had it going,' McBride said of Towns. 'Honestly, he's a special player. He did what he had to do tonight.' This performance comes on the heels of a Game 2 loss in which Towns barely played in the fourth quarter. Towns logged only 28 minutes in the game as New York was performing better when Mitchell Robinson was on the floor. That was tied for the fewest minutes the All-NBA talent played in a game since December. 'Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses,' Thibodeau said. 'We always talk about playing smart, and when you're playing smart, you're playing to your strengths and covering up your weaknesses. You can't get here without being a great player. So, whatever it is that you do great, that's what we want you to lock into. It's not only understanding what you do well, but understanding what your teammates do well. Lead them into the things that they do well and cover up their weaknesses. When you do that, you're playing smart and enhancing your chances of winning. Advertisement 'KAT, as we know, is a very gifted scorer. He can score at three different levels. He's comfortable at the 3-point line, comfortable putting the ball on the floor and comfortable playing with his back to the basket. So, as long as he stays aggressive, it's a huge plus for us.' Towns was forced to chew on that over the last 48 hours. 'My teammates put me in great spots to succeed, and I just wanted to capitalize on the opportunity,' Towns said. 'All of us were just doing whatever it takes and putting ourselves in position to get back in the game and putting ourselves in a position at the end of the game to have a chance to win. 'I saw an opportunity to utilize what was ours. The game wasn't looking great for me or all of us. I just wanted to do what it takes to put us in a position to win. Like I said, it's a testament to my teammates to have trust in me and putting me in spots where I can succeed and utilize my talents.' New York needed Towns to show up. He did. Towns needed a stage. He got one. The marriage kept the Knicks' season alive. It's bigger than that, though. Towns got to celebrate his mother. He got to shout-out his family and heritage with a smile on his face and a win in his back pocket, all while the whole world watched. This was the good stuff, the stuff you can't script. This is why we romanticize sports so much. For some, that round, orange ball means a little bit more than meets the eye.
