Unfortunately for Karl-Anthony Towns, his mind was elsewhere. This week, Towns had a close personal friend pass away of cancer and he had to take a leave of absence against the Golden State Warriors.

New York looks to the All-Star center for leadership while he grieves the death of a close family friend, writes Mark Medina.

The Knicks must also scheme Karl-Anthony Towns open with McBride handling the ball. The five-time All-Star needs to at least match his season average of 24.2 points per game in Brunson's stead. It'll help to stay out of foul trouble, as he scored just 12 points (3-of-13 FG, 1-of-6 3 PT) with five fouls against the Lakers.