Karl-Anthony Towns NBA Finals MVP? IKAT was the best player on the field in two games

Early in the second quarter Friday night in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals, Karl-Anthony Towns turned toward the first quarter and caught a pass from Jose Alvarado on the move. He took one dribble, jumped through the defenders’ gap and dropped a two-handed slap shot before the outstretched arms of Victor Wembanyama.

Immediately, Dolobha turned and shouted in Wembanyama’s face.

The cities didn’t say anything at the time, but they didn’t have to. His game spoke.

In the first two games of this Finals between the Knicks and the Spurs, Towns not only played Wembanyama in his court battle, he was the best player on the court. Yes, Jalen Brunson came up with the biggest individual moments, and did so again late in Game 2 on Friday, but Towns is the main reason the New York Knicks are up 2-0 on the San Antonio Spurs, and two wins away from their first title since 1973.

Towns finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block on 8-of-12 shooting in 34 minutes in Game 2, and the Knicks were +11 with him on the floor — the highest mark of any Knicks starter. One game plus and minus isn’t a ridiculous number, but the Knicks are also +14 with City down in Game 1.

Through two games, Towns is averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, four assists and one block on 55.6/42.9/100 splits. Among all players, he is third in scoring, first in rebounding, tied for fourth in assists and tied for third in blocks. Entering the series, Towns was +2200 to win the Finals MVP. He is now +185.

Towns vs. Black in the finals

‘It puts us in difficult places’

Towns’ ability to lay it down gives the Knicks a real five-out look that has brought new challenges to the Spurs. Unlike the previous series, Wembanyama couldn’t spend the entire night roaming the backcourt as a potent threat that erases even the thought of attacking the rim.

“It is very different from the previous series, it puts us in difficult situations because they are good players. [Towns] he’s a good player,” Wembanyama said after Game 2. “Yeah, I mean, we just need to figure it out. We need to keep working on it. How many points did they get tonight? 105? We can do a little better. We can do better defensively.”

Towns won three 3s in Game 2, but he was able to put the ball on the deck and create himself in one-on-one situations, as he showed with his big dunk in the second quarter. The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference finals in part because Chet Holmgren was afraid to attack Wembanyama, but Towns has no such fears.

The ability of cities to achieve a perfect level of violence has been very impressive. It never felt like he was forcing the action or shooting badly.

“It comes with experience. I’ve been in the playoffs where I did too much, and it hurt the team, and I’ve been in the playoffs where I did too little, and it hurt the team,” Towns said before Game 2.

“It’s a fine line. It comes with experience where you learn what’s good for the team and being able to find the balance of being aggressive and impacting the game with your skill set, but also using that skill set to make others better. What I’ve felt has taught me. I think right now, I’m doing the best I’ve ever done.”

‘He was amazing on both sides of the ball’

Towns is one of the most talented and versatile offensive big men the league has ever seen, so it’s not a huge shock that he finally put it all together at the highest level. The defense he’s been playing on the other side, it’s been amazing. Throughout this playoff, Towns have stepped up on the defensive end like never before.

“He was amazing on both sides of the ball,” Brunson said after Game 2.

Coming into the series, there was a lot of talk about how well OG Anunoby protected Wembanyama during the regular season, and how big wings like him could give the 7-foot-4 Frenchman trouble. But Mike Brown decided to assign Towns Wembanyama to start Game 1, and he didn’t have to make any changes.

“KAT’s smart. He feels good. He’s got better feet than you think. He’s long. He’s long and strong. Those combinations bode well for a defensive guy,” Brown said before Game 2. “It’s about accepting them and staying there while understanding what the little details of your job should be.”

Towns isn’t blocking shots left and right, or making an amazing defensive play, but he’s been in the right spot and has worked hard to make life difficult for Black. The length and performance of the cities played a large role in keeping Wembanyama in the paint, and making him less efficient than usual when he arrived.

Through two games, Wembanyama has taken more shots outside the paint (22) than inside the paint (20), and is shooting 40.5% from the field — down from 51% in the first three rounds of the playoffs. NBA tracking data is incomplete, and has not been updated to include Game 2, but in Game 1, Wembanyama was 2 of 11 with Towns as the closest defender.

Asked about his effort to slow down Wembanyama, Towns refused to be honored after Game 2.

“Everything is about the success of the team, so the fact that we won 2-0 is proof that the coaches found a good game plan for us and our teammates who run the game plan,” said Towns. “It’s a team effort, and we found a way to win these two games. So it’s a shout out to everyone coming together with a big goal.”

‘Strengthens you beyond measure’

In April 2020, Dolobha lost her mother, Jacqueline, to COVID-19. Dolobha was very close to his mother, and said he could feel her presence on the field during Game 1 on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what it was, but I just felt a peace and a calmness that must have come from the woman above,” Towns said after Game 1. “I felt really confident today. I felt happy. I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. This was something as a kid you always dream of. You always hope to be an NBA player, let alone the NBA Finals.

“The whole day was a weird feeling. I felt like I was a kid getting ready to play my Saturday AAU games and Sunday AAU games. In a way, I felt like I was seeing. [my mom] in the houses. It was fun. It was really fun. And it was really comforting. “

After the final buzzer sounded on Friday, Towns looked up at the sky and blew a kiss. He told broadcasters that he was telling his mother that he “needs a stop” when Wembanyama missed a runner up the middle that would have won the game for Spurs.

“It’s amazing, as you go through life, lose a parent, anyone who listens, you just look for signs. I’ll take any sign I can get and pray for him to be strong before that stuff,” Towns said. “The best player got a good shot, it didn’t go in… I take it as a sign that my mother is here with me, so I appreciate her a lot.

A short time later, Towns appeared on ESPN with Scott Van Pelt and again talked about his mother and how her death strengthened him as a person and player.

“When you go through things like this, other than losing a child, there’s nothing worse to go through,” Towns said. “It builds, and strengthens you beyond measure. … I was strengthened on April 13 when I lost my mother. … All I know is that I can do anything when I walk by faith and walk with angels by my side. I feel like anything is possible. I feel like nothing is impossible. I’m just thankful to be in this position.”