Tom Thibodeau impressed Karl-Anthony Towns with his courage

In the third quarter of his new team’s most complete win of the season, Karl-Anthony Towns flew to the Knicks’ bench to save a loose ball after a missed shot by Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.

Towns got up quickly and made it to the court in time to complete a layup, two of his 30 points – along with 15 rebounds – in the Knicks’ stunning win on Monday.

That performance had to assuage the concerns of those who feared Towns was listed as questionable on the injury report and a game-time decision due to a bruised left calf.

It even prompted Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to deadpan afterward that the four-time All-Star “should have done more.”

“Sure. He’s not wrong. He’s not wrong,” Towns, recovering from a poor game in Saturday’s loss to the Jazz, said with a smile. “We’ll look at the tape and find ways like I did can get better. You’re never satisfied. Especially I’m never satisfied.

“I always want to do my best for my teammates, the best for the city and for this organization. There is always room for improvement, in every way, no matter what, in every single game. I’m happy to come out of this with a win and am excited to find ways to improve.”

On a night when OG Anunoby scored a career-high 40 points and Jalen Brunson recorded a career-best 17 assists — as part of the Knicks reaching their franchise mark of 45 — Towns was also used as the primary defender against Jokic.

The 7-footer helped the three-time MVP stay well below his triple-double averages, posting 22 points, seven boards and seven assists in 32 minutes.

“KAT gave us a presence inside,” Thibodeau said. “The thing is, look, this is the NBA. If you’re a professional athlete, you’ll get caught. If you can walk, walk. If you are hurt, sit down.

“It really is that simple. For me, being mentally strong when faced with adversity is probably the most important thing in life, regardless of what you do. Get out there and do the work. This is the end result. I like that part of him.”

Towns also recently surpassed 1,000 made 3-pointers in his 10-year career with the Timberwolves and Knicks, becoming the 18th player in NBA history with at least 13,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 1,000 or more Long distance connections.

The New Jersey product is averaging 28.8 points, 13.1 points, 3.4 assists and 2.8 three-pointers while shooting 55.4 percent overall and from the field in his last 13 appearances prior to Wednesday’s road game against the Mavericks Distance shoots 45.6 percent.

The last Knick to score at least 28 and score 13 times with a shooting percentage of at least .550 over a 13-game span was Patrick Ewing in the 1989-90 season.

Monday’s game also marked the first time in the Knicks’ 79-year history that a player scored at least 40 points (Anunoby), another scored at least 20 points and 10 assists (Brunson), and a third scored at least 30 points and 15 rebounds ( cities).

“OG was incredible. Nothing more needs to be said,” Towns said. “That’s the only word that describes it. He was incredible. He was on a different level and it was a great day to be at that level. He not only showed himself defensively, as he always does, but also offensively he showed why he is so sought after by us.”