Charles Barkley confronts Karl-Anthony Towns over foul trouble – “Why do you be getting them dumb fouls?” 

Charles Barkley didn’t hold back on calling out Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns for getting into foul trouble in a sit-down interview after Thursday’s Game 5 between the Pacers and Knicks. Towns picked up four fouls with 6:24 left in the third quarter during the 111-94 win, and it could have proved costly for New York as the Pacers made a run to make it a 10-point game.

Towns picked up a fifth with 3:24 left in the fourth and the Pacers trailing by 14. It offered them a chance to go at him and get him off the floor, but he and the Knicks survived that to win the contest and force a Game 6. Barkley confronted Towns after the game, saying:

“Hey man, why do you be getting them dumb fouls?”

Towns replied, suggesting he had no clue.

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"God only knows," he said.

The Knicks star didn't take offense and accepted this flaw in his game after Barkley pointed out one of the incidents from Game 4, where Towns was called for grabbing a Pacers player's wrist. The NBA legend reminded Towns of the potential consequences of it, reminding the Knicks center about Indiana's run in the third quarter.

Towns was the Knicks' best player on the floor. He finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and three assists, shooting 50.0%. Towns was a team-high +/- +26. His presence on the court allowed New York to maintain its lead and keep the Pacers at bay despite their runs in the second half.

Karl-Anthony Towns on playing through injury

Karl-Anthony Towns was iffy to suit up for Thursday's elimination Game 5. He reaggravated a lingering left knee injury late in Game 4 and was questionable because of it. However, Towns eventually played and was decisive in helping the Knicks extend the series. The All-Star center reflected on the decision, saying:

"I looked at the game, it said, 'Game 5 do or die.' That was pretty much all I needed to see. Shout out to our medical staff. They gave me a chance to go out there and compete tonight."

Towns added that the staff and he put several hours of work into recovery to get him ready for the contest. The Knicks have the best medical staff this season, which has been key to their postseason success after the team failed to stay healthy beyond the reguar season last year, resulting in a second-round exit.

Led by Casey Smith, the staff was awarded the best NBA Athletic Training Staff award.

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Arhaan Raje

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

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Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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