Draymond Green changes tone on Karl-Anthony Towns as Knicks move closer to finals

Draymond Green changes tone on Karl-Anthony Towns as Knicks move closer to finals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Draymond Green routinely called Karl-Anthony Towns soft and a frontrunner early in their NBA careers. The Warriors forward even falsely claimed Towns skipped a game to avoid Jimmy Butler.

Green later used playful on-court trash talk to spark a competitive fire in his rival. This tough talk forced the Knicks star to play with an aggressive dog mentality. Green now takes full credit for provoking that big change in Towns’ tough attitude.

But now Green is showing some major respect for Towns and his impressive defensive turnaround in the Eastern Conference Finals. During a recent episode of Inside the NBA, Green expressed surprise at how Towns has transformed his game.

Towns has been the defensive anchor for the New York Knicks against the Cleveland Cavaliers. New York holds a commanding 3-0 series lead heading into Game 4 on Monday.

“I’ve never seen Karl Anthony Towns defend and be as engaged as he is on the defensive end,” Green said. “What we’ve seen for years is him get these dumb fouls. He’s not even doing that anymore!”

The comment is significant because it comes from one of the league’s most respected defenders. Green won Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and has four NBA championships.

Towns recorded 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in New York’s Game 3 victory. He added three steals and committed zero turnovers across 36 minutes of play.

Knicks coach Mike Brown praised his center’s two-way performance after the win. “KAT, he was our hub offensively and defensively with three steals,” Brown said.

The 30-year-old is using his seven-foot frame to disrupt opponents in the pick-and-roll. His improved discipline has eliminated the careless fouls that plagued him in previous seasons.

New York has won 10 consecutive playoff games heading into a potential closeout. No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit in league history.

The Knicks can secure their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 with one more victory. Game 4 tips off Monday night in Cleveland at 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

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