Karl-Anthony Towns‘ mom wasn’t physically in the stands for game 1 of the NBA Finals, but the Knicks star says he felt her presence in a real way … and it helped KAT lead N.Y. to a huge victory!

“I just felt a calm and a peace that had to be coming from the woman above,” Towns told the “Inside the NBA” crew after the thrilling game.

“It felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play my Saturday AAU games and Sunday AAU games. In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands. It was fun. It was really fun, and it was really comforting.”

Watching the game, it’s clear KAT was in the zone.

The NBA All-Star scored 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting. He grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and added a block. Just as important, Towns played tremendous defense on Victor Wembanyama.

Sadly, Karl’s mom, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, passed away in April 2020 after complications from COVID-19. She was 58 years old.

Before her death, Jacqueline was KAT’s biggest supporter … and was a staple at his games, going back to his childhood in New Jersey.

Thanks in large part to Towns’ play, the Knicks stormed back from 14 down to win the first game, 105-95.