Knicks Notes: Game 2 Collapse, Towns, Alvarado, Robinson, Brunson, Brown, Anunoby

By Sandy Verma On Apr 22, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns was the Knicks’ second-leading scorer in Game 2 of their first-round series against Atlanta. Towns finished with 18 points but he was essentially a non-factor during the fourth quarter of their 107-106 loss, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes.

Towns attempted just two points during those 12 minutes as the Knicks squandered a 12-point lead. He scored 25 points and dished out four assists in the Game 1 victory.

“The opportunity just didn’t come around shooting,” he said after Monday’s loss. “But at the end of the day, I trust everybody in this locker room to shoot the ball. The opportunities weren’t available for me in the fourth and it was fine.”

Jalen Brunson dominated the ball during much of that span when New York scored just 15 points.

“We could’ve flowed better, for sure. We could’ve done that,” Towns said. “But at the end of the day, I have to watch the tape. When you’re so into the game, it’s hard to give a great assessment about it.”

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Jose Alvarado was a bright spot in the loss, according to Braziller. The reserve guard provided three assists, two rebounds and pesky defense in his nine-minute stint. Mitchell Robinson was also a bright spot, in Braziller’s view. The big man notched 13 points, seven rebounds, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.
Lay the blame for the late collapse on coach Mike BrownBrunson and AND Anunoby, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post opines. Brown mismanaged his timeouts, Brunson got lit up by CJ McCollum and Anunoby committed a crucial turnover and missed two late free throws.
James Edwards III of The Athletic blames the loss largely on Brown, not only for the timeout issues but for his rotations. Brunson and Towns were both on the bench when the fourth quarter started and Atlanta made its run. Brown stood by that decision. “We’ve played that lineup quite a bit at the end of the season,” Brown said. “That lineup’s been pretty good. We weren’t good tonight and we turned the ball over a few too many times during that period. But we had opportunities where our starters were in, and we were up eight to 10 (points) and Atlanta closed it. So I wouldn’t just say that specific lineup caused it.”