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The pressure and anticipation of the NBA Finals is felt throughout basketball, whether the players want to say it or not.
However, New York Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he “felt calm and peace” despite what was at stake in Game 1 on Wednesday night at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center against the Spurs.
The reason for his serenity in the midst of chaos? His mother.
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New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns shouts during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio on June 3, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
Towns’ mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, died in April 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. But even though she wasn’t in the stands for her son’s first NBA Finals game, Towns said he felt her presence throughout the day.
“I don’t know what it was, but I felt a calm and a peace that, I don’t know, had to come from the woman upstairs,” Towns told ESPN’s “Inside The NBA” crew after the Knicks’ 105-95 victory over the Spurs to take Game 1 on the road. “So today I felt very confident. I felt good.
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“I felt like a kid. It was fun being here. This is something that, as a kid, you always dream about. You always hope to be an NBA player, let alone be in the NBA Finals. The whole day, it was a strange feeling. I felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play my AAU games on Saturday and my AAU games on Sunday. I kind of felt like I was watching her in the stands, and it was a lot of fun. It was really heartwarming.
Towns admitted it felt strange because he had been told what the NBA Finals will be like in terms of pressure and need for execution. But the ability to play freely and without a doubt helped him, especially when the Knicks were down.
Jacqueline Cruz, mother of Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, died May 16 in Minneapolis after a weeks-long battle with COVID-19. He was 59 years old. The photo shows Cruz with Towns during his official 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year photos. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune)
While it was Jalen Brunson who hit a mid-range jumper late in the fourth quarter to all but seal the Knicks’ victory, it was Towns who made things happen in the third quarter to erase a 14-point deficit and allow New York a chance at another comeback in the NBA Playoffs.
Towns was creating second-chance baskets for the Knicks, while playing stellar defense against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama to regain momentum and return to his team’s bench. At one point, Towns was huffing and puffing, clearly exhausted after giving it his all in the fourth.
Towns finished the game with 18 points and 12 rebounds for another double-double in the playoffs, while also recording four assists and a block. He was 7 of 15 from the field and even admitted after the game that he didn’t think he, or the Knicks as a whole, had played a great offensive game.
But it was the team’s defense that helped them rally and get the baskets needed on the other end to close out a 10-point victory.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns looks for a call during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio on June 3, 2026. (David J. Phillip/AP)
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The victory marked the 12th consecutive victory for the Knicks, as their playoff run has been truly remarkable to watch on their way to the NBA Finals. They’ll look for lucky number 13 on Friday night in Game 2 against the Spurs before returning to Madison Square Garden next week.
