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New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts during a game. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The road games had all the usual playoff noise, but the Knicks never looked down. Three games in, this series has started to feel like a test of poise as much as talent.

That is why Karl-Anthony Towns stood out again after Game 3. His words were calm, measured, and maybe a little surprising given who was on the other side.

Karl-Anthony Towns Shows Respect While Delivering For Knicks

GettyKAT Opens Up On His Respect For Joel Embiid

After the Knicks beat Philadelphia 109-94 to move ahead 3-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Towns was asked what battling Joel Embiid has been like.

His answer was all respect. “I mean, it’s been great. It’s been great to go against one of the best and to go out there in this environment and play. You know, I got a lot of respect for his game and the success he’s had in his career,” Towns said.

That message landed because Towns is not just talking, he is producing. Game 3 was not one of his best nights, and foul trouble has been part of the story around him in these playoffs, but he still helped New York keep control while Jalen Brunson closed the door late in the win over Philadelphia.

The biggest thing with Towns right now is that even when the points are not exploding, the game still bends in the Knicks’ favor with him involved.

And honestly, that has been the theme of his postseason. Through the first two games of this series, Towns put up 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 1, then followed with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in Game 2.

For this team, that kind of steady impact matters. Brunson gets the headlines and deservedly so, but Towns has been one of the Knicks’ most consistent playoff performers.

He rebounds, he moves the ball, and he does it without forcing the night to become about him. That is winning basketball, and it has been a huge part of this 3-0 lead.

Karl-Anthony Towns And Joel Embiid Rivalry Has Changed

GettyKAT Breaks Silence On Joel Embiid After Knicks Take 3-0 Series Lead

What makes Towns’ quote more interesting is the history behind it. These two were not always this respectful in public. Their past included trash talk, real tension, and that 2019 on-court fight that got both players suspended.

There was also Embiid’s old social media shot at Towns, when he wrote, “pretty please make the playoffs before you talk. It’s a known thing that I OWN YOU,” according to Bleacher Report. Back then, this matchup felt personal in a different way.

Now it feels more like two stars who know exactly what the other one brings. Embiid said in 2022, “We’re great. We had our moment, but it’s basketball. It’s competitive, I am extremely competitive, and we had our moment.”

That is what this series has looked like. There is edge, but there is also perspective. From a Knicks angle, that is fine. And Towns is not trying to win the quote battle.