Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks has gained attention lately due to his viral moment against Russell Westbrook of the Sacramento Kings. In the first quarter, Towns saw a mismatch against Westbrook and called for the ball to post-up against the veteran guard. However, the Kings star managed to hold his ground and even force the Knicks star to turn the ball over.
Ultimately, Towns and the Knicks had the last laugh with a 103-87 win. The big man finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds on 37.5% shooting from deep. But the moment between him and Westbrook has gone viral.
Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins expressed his disappointment with Towns’ failed move on Westbrook on Wednesday’s episode of “Run It Back.”
“As a big, I don’t like it,” Cousins said. “I don’t think it’s acceptable, I don’t think it’s okay, and the standard has to be set much higher. This is no disrespect to Russ, he’s one of the most physical guards we’ve ever seen in this league. Credit to him for standing his ground.
Karl-Anthony Towns did not make Boogie proud after getting bodied by Russell Westbrook 😅
Lou, on the other hand, was glad Russ’ defense on KAT tilted the score in favor of guards 📈 pic.twitter.com/EnVoi9tnYz
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 28, 2026
“But as a big, this is unacceptable. It should never be an instance in a game to where these types of things are happening. KAT is obviously 6, 7, 8 inches taller than (Westbrook) — I’m disappointed. I’m like a disappointed father right now.”
The former two-time All-NBA star said that Karl-Anthony Towns needs to establish his dominance inside the paint, especially when smaller players try to defend him.
The Knicks are downplaying any Karl-Anthony Towns trade rumors
The Knicks haven’t been the same team this season. The team has struggled, especially since the New Year. New York has only five games to start 2026, which is not a promising trend for a contending team.
Amid the struggles, there have been trade talks around Karl-Anthony Towns. However, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Knicks have “tried to downplay any notion” about a trade involving Towns. Even with that, there is a belief that the organization have tried to gauge what his value is in the trade market.
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