A month after the trade, Karl-Anthony Towns looks very settled in New York

MIAMI (AP) — Someone asked coach Tom Thibodeau before New York's game Wednesday what else he's looking to get from Karl-Anthony Towns as this season goes along.

Thibodeau didn't sound worried.

A couple hours later, Towns showed why.

In only his fourth game with the Knicks, Towns went wild — 44 points, by far the most by any New York player in this still-young season, leading his club to a 116-107 win in Miami.

He might be a perfect fit into the decades-long Knicks-Heat rivalry. Towns averages 25.4 points in his career in games at Miami, his second-highest road average against any opponent. He averages 25.8 points in games at Indiana.

“The weather,” Towns told MSG Network after the game, when asked why he likes games in Miami so much. “I was in Minnesota. It's cold. It's hot here. I like that.”

Towns, traded by Minnesota to New York as camps were opening about a month ago in the deal that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves, wasn't off to a bad start to the season by any measure. His first three games: 12 points, 21 points and 13 points, with two double-doubles. Not eyepopping, but not bad, either.

Game 4 of his New York career was different from the get-go.

He had 24 by halftime, kept rolling in the second half, was 17 of 25 from the floor, grabbed 13 rebounds and had the fourth-most points ever by a Knick against the Heat in the 173rd game between the clubs. New York has won 88, Miami 85.

“I love his approach because he's not forcing anything,” Thibodeau said. “He's letting the game come to him. I want him to be assertive and everything, but I want him to let the game come to him. He's a very gifted scorer, as you saw tonight. ... He can hurt you a lot of different ways.”

There's 78 games to go, but Towns already has an appreciation for the Knicks and what's possible this season.

“They're gritty. They find a way to win. They never quit,” Towns said. “Bringing that New York mentality every single night, it's something that you recognize when you get to live in that kind of culture.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Miami. At left is New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges, (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) and guard Tyler Herro (14) defend New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) goes to the basket as Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant (31) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, center, goes to the basket as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Miami. At left is New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25). (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 12, 2026--

Today, a leading global wedding technology platform The Knot Worldwide (TKWW), announced the appointment of Michael Pickrum as Chief Financial Officer. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic finance, operations, and business development within the media and technology industries, Pickrum will oversee TKWW’s global finance organization. Pickrum joins TKWW at an exciting moment as the company celebrates its 30-year anniversary and continues to grow and scale with a focus on product innovation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112910392/en/

Pickrum joins TKWW from Maximum Effort, the media, marketing, and investment company co-founded by Ryan Reynolds, where he served as Chief Financial Officer. Before this, he held the roles of COO and CFO at ExecOnline, Inc., a B2B online leadership development company. Pickrum spent over 17 years at BET/Viacom, where he served as EVP and CFO starting in 2007. Prior to that, he was COO of BET Interactive. He earned his master's and bachelor's degrees in engineering from Stanford University and his MBA from The Wharton School.

“I am thrilled to be joining TKWW at such an important time in the company’s journey,” said Michael Pickrum, CFO, TKWW. “There is incredible power in celebrations and I am looking forward to working with the exceptional team at TKWW to further enable our millions of couples and 900,000 small business owners around the world to celebrate life’s most meaningful moments.”

“Michael is a world-class financial and operations leader with an impressive track record of driving strategic growth and operational excellence across media and technology companies,” said Raina Moskowitz, CEO, TKWW. “As we continue to grow and scale with a focus on product innovation, Michael’s deep expertise in strategic planning, analysis, and capital allocation will be critical to our ongoing success. We are thrilled to have him join our team and help guide TKWW through our next phase of growth.”

Pickrum is based in New York, NY and reports to TKWW Chief Executive Officer Raina Moskowitz.

About The Knot Worldwide
Across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, The Knot Worldwide champions the power of celebration. The company’s global family of brands provides best-in-class products, services, and content to take celebration planning from inspiration to action. Through its wedding brands, including The Knot, WeddingWire, Bodas.net, Hitched.co.uk, Mariages.net, Matrimonio.com, and others, the company offers an extensive database of hundreds of thousands of wedding professionals to assist couples in organizing the happiest day of their lives. We have a brand for every kind of celebration—from booking a birthday party, to planning a wedding, to preparing to become a parent, and every moment in between.

Michael Pickrum, courtesy of The Knot Worldwide