CLEVELAND — Karl-Anthony Towns was mad. Spitting mad. His whole career, KAT has had to listen to folks complain about how passive he is, how nothing ever seems to bother him — well, except for 97 percent of the calls/non-calls the officials make/don’t make — and how he never seems moved to anger.

But Towns, he was salty now.

Lisa Salters, the sideline reporter for ESPN, took Towns aside at the start of the second quarter Saturday night, Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“KAT,” Salters said, “you guys have been saying that despite having the series lead that you guys wanted to be the ones playing more desperate tonight. How do you think you’re doing so far?”