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.”

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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)

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can, after Putin opted to skip peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.

“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump told reporters as he wrapped a four-day visit to the Middle East.

Trump later told reporters after boarding Air Force One to begin the journey back to Washington that he may call Putin soon.

“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it or maybe not,” Trump said. “At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”

Trump reiterated that he wasn’t surprised that Putin skipped out on the talks set for Friday in Turkey. Putin didn’t want to go because he’s not there, Trump said.

The Republican president added that he would hold a meeting with Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”

“I would actually leave here and go,” said Trump, who noted his daughter Tiffany just gave birth to her first child. “I do want to see my beautiful grandson.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to take part in the talks as Trump pressed for the leaders to find a solution to the war, ongoing since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But Putin spurned the call to meet face-to-face with Zelenskyy.

Trump has pressed both sides to quickly come to a war-ending agreement. Zelenskyy has agreed to an American plan for an initial 30-day halt to hostilities, but Russia has not signed on and has continued to strike at targets inside Ukraine.

Still, Russia and Ukraine were holding their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for negotiations. Officials and observers expect them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than 3-year-old war.

“He didn’t go, and I understand that,” Trump said. “We’re going to get it done. We got to get it done. Five thousand young people are being killed every single week on average, and we’re going to get it done.”

Trump on Thursday told reporters that a meeting between himself and Putin was crucial to breaking the deadlock.

“I don’t believe anything’s going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together,” Trump said. “But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press statement with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Promsvyazbank CEO Pyotr Fradkov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Alexander Kryazhev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump tours the Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque at the Abrahamic Family House, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump talks before signing guest book at the Abrahamic Family House, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump attends a business meeting and roundtable at Qasr Al Watan, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)