Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns called out by DeMarcus Cousins for getting ‘punked’ all the time

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Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns called out by DeMarcus Cousins for getting ‘punked’ all the time

Julian Ojeda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Jan 21, 2026 ·

3 min read

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Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns called out by DeMarcus Cousins for getting 'punked' all the time appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The New York Knicks ' recent slide continued Monday night with a 114-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks , their fourth consecutive defeat, prompting former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to publicly criticize Karl-Anthony Towns for what he described as a pattern of failing to stand up for himself.

Cousins addressed the situation on the latest episode of FanDuel's Run It Back, weighing in after a report suggested some Knicks players were upset with head coach Mike Brown for hugging Draymond Green following a 126-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors last Thursday.

Cousins dismissed the notion that the postgame interaction was a meaningful issue, instead redirecting blame toward Towns.

"When things are bad, the smallest things can make it worse," Cousins said. "They have issues obviously, but this is a reach. They obviously have a relationship, Draymond was coached by this guy for years, they won championships with each other. They have a real relationship. If any of y'all should be mad at, it should be KAT."

Cousins then sharpened his criticism, focusing on Towns' on-court demeanor and reputation around the league.

"He should be defending himself," Cousins said. "Stop letting these players punk you bro. Like, as simple as that."

DeMarcus Cousins says 'scouting report' targets Karl-Anthony Towns amid Knicks skid

When asked whether his comments amounted to victim blaming, Cousins doubled down, arguing that opposing teams consistently test Towns because they believe he will not respond.

"No, I'm calling the facts out," Cousins said. "If you wanna be angry at anybody, it should be KAT. Get up and stand up for yourself. The scouting report is to punk KAT. Does everybody up here know that? If anybody should be mad, it should be KAT. Stand up for yourself, stop allowing these things to happen, be a man bro. At the end of the day, he bleeds, you bleed… man up!"

Towns, 30, is in his second season with New York and remains one of the team's primary offensive options. Through 40 games, he is averaging 21 points, 11.6 rebounds, and three assists per game while playing 32.3 minutes per contest. His efficiency, however, has dipped, as he is shooting a career-low 46.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from three-point range.

The Knicks' loss to Dallas dropped them to 25-18 on the season. They have gone 3-9 over their last 12 games and have struggled to regain momentum since winning the NBA Cup in Las Vegas . Since that tournament victory, New York is just 7-11 overall, with defensive lapses and inconsistent physicality becoming recurring themes.

Despite the recent skid, the Knicks have not fallen far in the Eastern Conference standings. They currently sit third in the conference, benefiting from continued congestion near the top of the playoff race.

New York will look to stabilize when it hosts the Brooklyn Nets (12-29) on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET, closing out a three-game homestand as scrutiny around the team's leadership and toughness continues to intensify.

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