Karl-Anthony Towns Reveals Joke He Shared With Tyrese Maxey After Awkward Mop Moment

There were plenty of highlights from the Knicks’ Game 2 win over the 76ers on Wednesday night, but it’s possible Karl-Anthony Towns earned the loudest cheer of the night from the Madison Square Garden crowd for his work with a mop.

In the third quarter, the ball got stuck behind the backboard just underneath the shot clock. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey acquired a mop from one of the workers on the court, but quickly handed it off to teammate Andre Drummond, who was taller and thus likely better suited for the task. Unfortunately, Drummond struggled, knocking the ball around quite a bit but not freeing it from its glass prison.

That’s when Towns stepped in. The jeers Knicks fans had aimed at Drummond quickly turned to cheers as Towns needed only a single jab with the mop handle to get the ball loose so he could get back to the foul line.

KAT showed up Drummond trying to get the ball 😭

Timmy was hyped 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XGm7S1ymgk
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 7, 2026

As the scene played out, it was clear it was going to become A Moment, at least for those following along with the action online and making jokes.

"We looked at each other and definitely said it was gonna be on social media later,” Brunson said of the moment after the game.

Brunson was right. But the best joke to come out of the scene might have come from Towns himself.

"I didn’t say anything to Andre, but I did say something to Maxey, and that’s why y’all saw us laughing at the free throw line,” Towns said. “He walked up to me and I was like, 'I went to Kentucky longer than you. I have a little more experience with the geometry and all that that comes with getting the ball off of that.’”

Karl-Anthony Towns shares what he told Tyrese Maxey as the game was delayed for the ball being stuck behind the backboard:

"He walked up to me and I was like, 'I went to Kentucky longer than you.' I have a little more experience with the geometry and all that that comes with… pic.twitter.com/eqwpIBu2Ri
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

While both Towns and Maxey were one-and-done stars at Kentucky, Towns was noted as a 4.0 GPA student-athlete in his spring semester, and has spoken plenty about how much he valued his education.

“Shout out to [coach John Calipari] and the amazing teachers we had at Kentucky," said Towns. "Taught me well.”

While both teams had a bit of fun with the mop moment, it was the Knicks who got the last laugh on Wednesday night, grabbing a 108–102 win to take a 2–0 lead in the series as it heads to Philadelphia for Game 3.