All-Star Knicks heart Karl-Anthony Cities mentioned he’s not involved with what number of photographs or touches he’s getting in a sport.
“I’m about wins, so as long as we win then everything is fine,” Cities mentioned after apply on the Knicks’ Tarrytown coaching facility on Saturday.
Cities solely tried 10 photographs for 10 factors within the Knicks’ close-out Recreation 6 in opposition to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. He shot 5-of-14 for 17 factors within the Knicks’ Recreation 5 loss and 5-of-11 for simply 10 factors in Recreation 2, one other loss.
The shortage of photographs for a participant with Cities’ resume — five-time All-Star, 2025 All-Star starter and one of many NBA’s premier three-point capturing large males — is evident, however the star heart mentioned he isn’t involved with shot distribution or touches.
Cities ranked fourth behind Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges in touches per sport within the first spherical.
“All I know is as long as we win, we’re good,” he mentioned. “I’m going with that.”
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned he’s comfy with Cities’ shot choice and frequency so long as he’s making the best basketball play.
“When there’s a second and third defender coming, I don’t want him to try to shoot over three people. I want him to make a pass,” Thibodeau mentioned after apply on Saturday. “If he does that, he’s helping his team. That’s probably the biggest thing.”
Regardless of the low-scoring numbers in Recreation 6, Thibodeau pointed to Cities’ 15 rebounds as a key issue within the closeout victory.
“I thought KAT played a terrific game [in] Game 6,” he mentioned. “If you look at the rebounding and the defensive plays he made at the end of that game. That was huge for us. Huge.”
Thibodeau maintained gifted gamers don’t must have large scoring nights to make an influence on a sport.
“There’s games in which you don’t shoot the ball great, there’s other things you can do to help the team win. Whether you’re screening, same thing with Jalen,” he mentioned. “If there’s three guys on him, I don’t want him to take the tough shots. I want him to hit the open man. That’s what winning basketball is all about.”
Brunson echoed the same sentiment.
“We can’t let offense or shots falling dictate the way or how hard we play or the things that we can control. So I feel like a lot of people on this team have that mindset, and we’re going to have to,” he mentioned. “Because the longer we go to playoffs, the more difficult games are going to be. So we just can’t let little things like that kind of have an effect on how we’re playing.”
The Knicks traded Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round choose to the Minnesota Timberwolves to accumulate Cities in a blockbuster commerce in the course of the offseason. However distribution of each touches and photographs for a perennial All-Star heart was inconsistent in the course of the common season, a development that carried into the primary spherical of the playoffs.
Cities averaged 24.4 factors and 12.8 rebounds per sport his first season in orange and blue. The Knicks had been 3-0 in opposition to the Pistons when Cities scored 20 or extra factors and went 22-12 in video games he scored 25 or extra in the course of the common season.
TOWNS A FAN OF OUTDOOR BOXING
Cities was in attendance for the Instances Sq. outside combat card that includes Ryan Garcia vs. Rolly Ramirez, Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez, and Teofimo Lopez preventing Arnold Barboza Jr. for the WBC junior welterweight title on Friday.
“It was good. I had a good time, see the city have that kind of moment, be in Times Square for an event like that,” Cities mentioned after apply on Saturday. “It was special.”
Cities mentioned if climate permits, town ought to host extra sporting occasions outdoor.
“The weather was great. And the city was alive for it, so it was really cool,” he mentioned. “Definitely if it could happen in the city again, I would love to be there.”
TOWNS TALKS KP
Cities mentioned he has plenty of respect for Kristaps Porzingis, the previous Knicks first-round choose who he’ll be matched up with within the second spherical in opposition to the Celtics.
Cities and Porzingis had been each top-five picks within the 2015 NBA Draft. The Timberwolves chosen Cities No. 1 total whereas the Knicks took Porzingis at choose No. 4.
“I love Porzingis, man. We came into the league together. We had a bunch of great battles that you all got to watch personally,” mentioned Cities. “Just that competition. We got a lot of respect for each other.”
Cities is trying ahead to the matchup.
“It’s always great when you get to go against one of the best bigs in the NBA,” he mentioned. “You get to go out there and compete at the highest level.”
