Karl-Anthony Towns turned the Knicks’ Game 2 escape into something deeply personal while speaking about his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns.
New York edged San Antonio 105-104 to move ahead 2-0 in the NBA Finals, but Towns’ mind was not on the numbers after the final whistle.
For Towns, Victor Wembanyama’s missed jumper at the buzzer was not just a lucky break. It felt like another sign from someone he still feels close to.
Karl-Anthony Towns finds strength from his mother again
Speaking to ESPN after the game, Towns shared how he prayed to his mother before the Spurs’ last play, and how the miss felt meaningful.
“If you lose a parent…you just look for signs, and I’ll take any sign I could get, and I prayed to her strongly before that possession. I take it as a sign my mom was there with me, so I appreciate her so much.”
His mother died on April 13, 2020, from COVID-19 complications. Towns has often spoken about how that loss changed him, and this Finals run has brought those feelings back into focus.
After Game 1, he said he felt an unusual calm, as if she was watching. Following Game 2, he went further in a post-game interview with ESPN’s SVP, connecting his grief to Philippians 4:13.
“I feel like other than losing a child, there’s nothing worse you could go through, and it builds you up, and it strengthens you beyond measure… I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but I was strengthened on April 13 when I lost my mother. That’s been my favorite Bible verse my whole entire life since I was little. I didn’t know the significance it would have in my life when I became an adult.”
Karl-Anthony Towns has a real Finals MVP lane
Towns’ emotion is now attached to production. He led New York in Game 2 with 21 points and 13 rebounds, giving him 39 points and 25 rebounds across the first two Finals games.
Jalen Brunson still owns the captain’s narrative after scoring 30 in Game 1 and making the go-ahead free throw in Game 2. But his 20 points on 7-for-25 shooting left room for Towns to close the gap.
Through two games, Brunson has the leadership case, while Towns has the consistency case. He has been New York’s best interior scorer and rebounder, and has been a much-better defender than Brunson.
If the Knicks finish this series quickly and Towns keeps outplaying his matchup, Finals MVP becomes more than a sentimental possibility. It becomes a real race.
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