Karl-Anthony Towns opens the season with 12 straight double-doubles, breaking Willis Reed’s Knicks record

Karl-Anthony Towns playing for the Dominican Republic in July 2012. Photo: U.S. Air Force / Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes. Public domain; cropped archive image.

Karl-Anthony Towns has the New York Knicks’ longest double-double streak to open a season. He recorded his 12th straight on Friday, November 13, surpassing Willis Reed’s 1970-71 mark, the Knicks’ public relations account announced.

Towns finished with 23 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three steals in New York’s 106-104 NBA Cup loss at Indiana. He shot 9-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-7 from three, in 33:53.

A record in a losing effort

The milestone did not come with a win. Towns missed the potential game-tying 15-foot jumper at the buzzer as the Pacers held on at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Jalen Brunson led New York with 33 points and 11 assists.

The record is specifically for double-doubles at the start of a Knicks season. It is not a claim about the longest streak at any point in a season, or an NBA-wide record.

Read our game coverage: Indiana Pacers hold off New York Knicks 106-104 in NBA Cup as Jalen Brunson’s 33 falls short.