Jalen Brunson’s fourth-quarter heroics will ultimately–and deservedly–get most of the headlines, but Karl-Anthony Towns deserves his flowers too.

Brunson carried the visiting New York Knicks in their 95–85 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, scoring 13 of his 30 points in the final period while also finishing with two three-pointers, three rebounds, and two steals. However, the Knicks may not have been in position for Brunson to close the game if not for the work that Towns did in the third quarter.

New York trailed San Antonio, 55–48, at halftime and fell behind by as much as 13 in the third. The Spurs took control at the opening of the period and pushed their lead to 63–50, threatening to pull away in the series opener. Towns then helped change the complexion of the game as he has done consistently throughout this postseason for the Knicks–through his crafty interior scoring, relentless offensive rebounding, and still quite surprising playmaking.

The 7-footer stayed on the floor from the start of the third quarter until the 1:55 mark. During that eventful stint, New York went from trailing by seven at halftime to being tied at 71. Towns was a plus-eight in the quarter and finished the period with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a block on 4-of-5 shooting. For the night, he had totals of 18 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and a block.

His most important stretch began with the Knicks down 65–51 midway through the third quarter. At the 6:10 mark, Towns found Mikal Bridges for an 11-foot jumper. Less than a minute later, he assisted Landry Shamet on a cutting layup. He then attacked the rim himself, finishing a driving finger-roll layup through contact and knocking down the and-one free throw. A few seconds later, he blocked Julian Champagnie, and New York eventually cut the deficit to six after a Brunson layup.

Towns directly created seven of the Knicks’ 10 points during that stretch, turning a dangerous 14-point hole into a far more manageable deficit.

He was not done yet. 

With New York still trailing, Towns then turned to the offensive glass in the latter stages of the third quarter. He grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a putback layup at the 3:36 mark, then did it again less than a minute later, this time finishing through contact and hitting the free throw. Those five straight points cut San Antonio’s lead to two. 

Shortly after that, Victor Wembanyama committed an offensive foul, and Brunson tied the game at 71.

Towns’ third quarter was not flashy in the way Brunson’s fourth quarter was, but it was just as essential. He played with the kind of physicality and never-say-die attitude that New York needed when the game appeared to be slipping away. The Knicks were down by double digits, and Towns helped drag them all the way back before checking out.

New York is now up 1–0 in the NBA Finals, three wins away from its first championship since 1973. If the Knicks are going to end that drought, they will need more than just Brunson’s shot-making. Brunson may have delivered the finishing touches, but Towns will need to keep giving them the kind of unglamorous work that might not get the attention that it deserves, but warrants just as many flowers.