As the Detroit Pistons face the New York Knicks, former Minnesota Timberwolves teammates Malik Beasley and Karl-Anthony Towns will see each other in the postseason.
Apparently, though, that's no concern for Beasley.
"I'm not worried about KAT, I'm not even worried about him," Beasley said in his Thursday pregame presser.
The two played together in Minnesota from 2020 to 2022. There's never been any reported tension between the two, so these words come as a bit of a surprise. Perhaps Beasley is just trying to get into playoff mode, aiming to give Detroit its first playoff win in nearly decades.
"I don't even know what incident you're talking about, that's how unsure I am about KAT. He's the least of my worries," Beasley said.
Still, he should choose his words carefully. In his first season as a Knick, Towns is averaging 24.4 points and a career-high 12.8 rebounds in his fifth All-Star season. He has been slightly underwhelming in the postseason, but now has a change of scenery with Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges.
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Beasley does have some boasting to do this season, though. He is averaging 16.3 points on 41.6 percent shooting from 3-point range, his best season offensively since 2021. He adds another complementary piece to the Pistons' improved unit.
We'll see if his words still stick by the end of the series. If Towns has a dominant series, Beasley may see these comments turned into memes for the future.
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