Towns Fuels Knicks’ 27-26 First-Quarter Edge Over Pacers

New York leads Indiana 27-26 after Friday’s first quarter, with Karl-Anthony Towns setting the pace at 12 points in eight minutes. Towns is 5-for-7 from the floor and has hit one of his two three-point attempts; Jay Huff has answered with eight points for Indiana, including two threes. The Knicks’ narrow edge comes with a clear season-record advantage: they are 6-5 and rank 11th in the power index, while the Pacers are 4-8 and rank 21st. The opening quarter remains tight, with New York holding just a one-point scoring margin.