BBNBA: Karl-Anthony Towns Stuffs Stat Sheet in Knicks Playoff Debut

Karl-Anthony Towns grew up down the road from Madison Square Garden. The former Kentucky Wildcat delivered fireworks in his first playoff game for the Knicks.

The 7-footer did a little bit of everything on Saturday. Towns was 10-14 from the floor (1-3 3FG), scoring a team-high 23 points in the Knicks’ 123-112 win over the Detroit Pistons.

While his scoring stole the show, it wasn’t the craziest thing he did at Madison Square Garden. He also grabbed 11 rebounds to secure a playoff double-double. Towns blocked two shots, had four steals, and five assists, including this incredible no-look dime that got Knicks fans out of their seats.

The Knicks will get Easter Sunday off before returning for game two tomorrow night at 7:30 PM ET.

Jamal Murray Provides Clutch Playoff Defense

The Denver Nuggets have relied on Jamal Murray‘s shooting to make the most out of Nikola Jokic‘s prime. The former Kentucky Wildcat provided plenty of scoring on Saturday, but like Towns, it’s the other little things that made a big difference in a playoff win.

The Clippers had a one-point lead with less than a minute remaining. Kawhi Leonard was prepared to ice the game. Murray had different plans. He poked the ball free and forced a turnover to give Denver a chance to win the game.

The Nuggets scored on the ensuing possession, and the game eventually went to overtime. He scored a bucket in the extra period, and Denver eventually pulled away with a 112-110 win. It was a crucial victory at home for what’s expected to be the most competitive series in the opening round of the playoffs.

The former Kentucky Wildcat flirted with a triple-double. Murray finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and a team-high plus-minus of +12.

Lakers Get Rolled

Luka Doncic was expected to steal the show in his first playoff appearance for the Lakers. He got his, scoring 37 points, but the Lakers took a big fat L. Ant Edwards hit Doncic was a Spider-Man celebration as the Timberwolves took over in a 117-95 victory in L.A.

Julius Randle had 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists for Minnesota. Jarred Vanderbilt tallied two points, four rebounds, and two assists in 14 minutes off the bench for the Lakers.

BNBA Stats for 4/19/2025

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	P/M	MIN
Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK)	123-112 W vs. DET	23	10-14 (1-3)	11	5	4	2	0	+22	39
Jamal Murray (DEN)	112-110 W vs. LAC	21	7-20 (3-7)	9	7	1	0	3	+12	48
Julius Randle (MIN)	117-95 W vs. LAL	16	6-11 (4-6)	5	5	0	0	7	+19	35
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)	95-117 L vs. MIN	2	1-3 (0-0)	4	2	2	1	0	-2	14
Chris Livingston (MIL)	98-117 L vs. IND	0	0-0 (0-0)	1	0	0	0	0	+2	1
Rob Dillingham (MIN)	117-95 W vs. LAL	DNP-Ankle

Today in the NBA Playoffs

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the scoring title. Now he’s out to take the Thunder on a deep playoff run. That begins this afternoon in Oklahoma City.

Western Conference First Round | Game 1
1:00 (ABC): Grizzlies @ Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander, Wallace)

Eastern Conference First Round | Game 1
12:30 (ABC): Magic @ Celtics

Eastern Conference First Round | Game 1
7:00 (TNT): Heat (Herro, Adebayo) @ Celtics

Western Conference Semis | Game 1
9:30 (TNT): Warriors @ Rockets (Sheppard)

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