Towns Plays Through Injury in Knicks Game: 19 Points and 12 Rebounds Despite the Burden

Karl-Anthony Towns Overcomes Injury and Leads the Knicks to the Inaugural Victory

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he is dealing with a Grade 2 quadriceps strain, generating uncertainty about his participation in the season opener against the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Shortly before the start of the game, Towns was declared fit to play, and subsequently scored 19 points and achieved 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. This match pitted two of the favorite teams in the Eastern Conference against each other. The decision for Towns to play came after he was initially listed as “doubtful” on the Knicks’ injury report early Wednesday afternoon, and then upgraded to “questionable” an hour later.

I’ve been dealing with discomfort and haven’t really had the opportunity to practice or play in the last two preseason games. I didn’t want to disappoint the fans. It’s not something easy to handle, [but] we made it possible tonight.

Karl-Anthony Towns

When asked if he felt pain during the game, Towns replied: “It definitely hurt.” He did not reveal whether this would affect his availability for Friday’s game against the Celtics. In several plays, Towns used his physique to overcome the Cavaliers’ center, Evan Mobley. He didn’t stray too far from the 3-point line, with only four attempts. The Knicks have emphasized a faster game, but Towns showed that he can still play with strength at times. A Donovan Mitchell (31 points) attack gave the Cavaliers a brief lead in the last quarter, but the Knicks quickly stifled it with a 14-0 run to take a 101-89 lead with 8:45 remaining. All the damage was done with the top scorer and Clutch Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson, on the bench for his usual rest. Towns overcame early foul trouble to have a productive night for the Knicks, who were already without two regular players: center Mitchell Robinson (load management) and forward Josh Hart (back). Being without a third rotation player would have sent coach Mike Brown deeper into his bench during his first game as Knicks coach. Towns’ uncertain situation added intrigue to a game that already had a lot, including Brown experiencing for the first time the huge expectations that await him after his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, helped lead the Knicks to their first conference finals since 2000. Brown used 11 players in the inaugural match, a somewhat new development from the previous regime, and the Knicks maintained comfortable leads for much of the night.

This team is a deep team. I give a lot of credit to Leon Rose and his group. It’s my job to keep finding combinations that work. I also have a lot of room to grow.

Mike Brown

Added: “I can learn on the go because we have a lot of guys who can play. I don’t know if I’ll play with 11 guys every night, but we like to play with as many as we can.” It wasn’t Brown’s first time at Madison Square Garden, but the energy was different for this season opener. He said Spike Lee greeted him before the game and that he was surprised Lee knew who he was. Brown was asked if he took a moment to feel the expectations of the outside world, and he pointed out that internal ones are just as important.

Our expectations are extremely high. Whether we win or lose, it’s a game. We don’t feel we’re even close to what we’re capable of, and that’s what makes it exciting.

Mike Brown