Karl-Anthony Towns put his stamp on Knicks’ Game 1 win over Hawks in more ways than one

Much was made about Karl-Anthony Towns ’ regular-season dominance over the Atlanta Hawks, so his slow start to Game 1 of their first-round playoff series stood out. Towns attempted only one shot in the first quarter, didn’t score until there was 4:50 left in the first half, and didn’t make a basket until there was 2:53 remaining before the break. This was after Hawks head coach Quin Snyder acknowledged during his pregame press conference that the towering Towns presented a difficult challenge for his team’s undersized, banged-up front court.

But Towns took over when it mattered most, scoring 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to help lead the Knicks to a 113-102 win at Madison Square Garden . “The ball went in for him in the second half,” head coach Mike Brown said. The 7-foot Towns averaged 28.

5 points on 62. 9% shooting and 13. 5 rebounds per game in two regular-season meetings with the Hawks, who traded away 7-2 center Kristaps Porzingis in February and are currently missing 6-11 backup center Jock Landale due to an ankle injury.

But Towns began Saturday’s playoff game as a facilitator, repeatedly looking for cutters rather than chasing his own shots. Towns assisted on two of the Knicks’ first three field goals — both to Jalen Brunson — and recorded three assists before he made his first basket. “I wanted to know — they had a week of practice —  to see what their game plan was,” Towns said.