Karl-Anthony Towns continues to flip the script in his fifth straight win

NEW YORK – All is well once again at Madison Square Garden, where it is New York Knicks spent Friday night beating the Portland Trail Blazers 127-97. After a 2-9 slump that Josh Hart described as “more than a little strain,” New York responded with a five-game winning streak that LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers will try to end on Sunday.

The players did not perform the duties of the head coach Mike Brown‘s system to pleasure throughout the piece. The coach has repeatedly told reporters that he does not know what is not clicking. It was clear disagreement between the coach and Karl-Anthony Townsfor example. But Brown’s postgame assessment of the center’s performance against Portland may have begun a new chapter in their story.

“This is KAT’s second, definitely second game he’s had 20+ rebounds. And you know, to me, that’s what great players do. They impact the game in a lot of different ways. To have 22, I think, against Toronto and 20 tonight, a double-double, that was huge. Because six of them were offensive rebounds at the Garden,” Madson said at the Garden.

On Friday, Towns scored 14 points and didn’t attempt a shot for the entire six minutes of the third quarter. Things happened similarly on Wednesday in the Knicks’ win in Toronto, when he finished with eight points in 35 minutes. He did not attempt a shot in the third quarter of that game, even though he played nine minutes.

However, as his coach noted, the center had 22 rebounds against the Raptors and 20 against the Blazers. His double-double effort also included three assists and no turnovers, symptomatic of his recent disconnect in the Browns’ offense.

The buzz of the trade deadline is almost impossible to miss, with the center is allegedly dissatisfied in a relationship potentially involving Giannis Antetokounmpo in the trade. That makes it all the more impressive that Towns relies heavily on fundamentals and embraces Brown’s offense. This leads to Nick winning.

Next up are the Knicks stars Mikal Bridges“Selfless leadership in the Blazers loss

The Knicks have shown this season that reaching new heights does not guarantee a raised floor. Brown and several key members of his locker room have made it clear that the fundamentals are not beneath them, despite their recent play implying otherwise. One of those players is Mikal Bridges, who made it clear after his 30-point performance in Toronto that he sees it as a turning point for the team.

The winger cited a potential sense of “rightness” as the cause of his “unconditional” stretch, which was a strong statement from a typically soft-spoken player. It seemed so it rings loudly throughout the locker room. Brown certainly said it showed on the court in the Trail Blazers’ 30-point loss.

“This is a veteran group that has been through a lot. They understand what they need to do to play at a high level. And they go out there and show it,” the coach said Friday.

The The Knicks are certainly back on track in the standings, taking sole possession of the second seed in the Eastern Conference heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Lakers. Their improvement in the locker room in terms of mentality could surpass the winning streak itself. But both are sorely needed for a group facing such high expectations.

Especially if the Milwaukee Bucks don’t move Antetokounmpo anywhere before the trade deadline, this Knicks team is rediscovering how to work together at the right time. Their NBA Cup run in late December isn’t far behind them, and Towns and Brown are on the same page is a positive development for all involved.