Karl-Anthony Towns did not hold back on his poor performance in the New York Knicks' 100-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the East First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Monday night.

In 33 minutes of action, Towns only finished with 10 points and six rebounds. He shot 5-of-11 from the field, including two misses from beyond the arc. He lacked a presence in the fourth quarter, attempting zero shots and going scoreless as it came at the cost of the Knicks' offense being productive.

Towns reflected on his performance after the loss. He understood that the team must execute better to perform at a better level, himself included.

“Just trying to have the game do what it does, just executing what we talked about. Thought we got some great shots, some great looks, especially when we fought back in that game,” Towns said.

What's next for Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks

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New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) during the third quarter of game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
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The Knicks need Karl-Anthony Towns to be at his best in their playoff series against the Pistons. Otherwise, a lot of the offensive responsibility will be in Jalen Brunson's hands.

Towns is capable of being a 20-point, 10-rebound per game player to the Knicks' benefit. His ability to threaten Detroit from inside and outside the arc will be crucial to New York making a deep postseason run.

Five players score in double-digits for New York in the loss, including Towns. Brunson led the way with 37 points, seven assists and three rebounds. He shot 12-of-27 from the field, including 4-of-12 from downtown, and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. Mikal Bridges had 19 points and five rebounds, while Josh Hart and OG Anunoby rounded up the scoring unit with 10 points each.

The Knicks will look to bounce back by retaking the series lead against the Pistons in Game 3. The contest will take place on April 24 at 7 p.m. ET.