Although New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns’ thumb injury is worse than initially thought, he is not expected to miss much time.
Towns went down with a thumb sprain in Monday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Towns also suffered a bone chip in his right thumb. He was ruled out of the Knicks’ 125-119 win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday because they need swelling to go down. According to the report, he is expected to play through the injury.
Towns injured his thumb in the first half Monday when he hit the backboard with his hand while going up for a dunk. While he stayed in the match, Towns was agitated for the remainder of the match.
Towns finished that game with 26 points and 12 rebounds and then said “it is what it is” regarding his thumb injury. It is unclear how long Towns will be sidelined. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Wednesday before the Philadelphia game that they’ll “see where he is” on Thursday. The Knicks host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Towns, who was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Knicks last season, has averaged 25.4 points and a league-best 13.9 rebounds per game this season. He has shot 55% from the field.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 38 points and five rebounds in Wednesday’s win, which moved New York to 27-15 on the season. Mikal Bridges added 23 points and OG Anunoby finished with 17.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 33 points, six rebounds and six assists. He scored a game-tying goal on a goaltending call with just seconds left, forcing overtime.
The Knicks kept going in the extra period and took the win without much trouble. Paul George added 26 points for Philadelphia, which fell to 15-24 with the loss, and Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
If Towns can’t play against his former team on Friday, he will get another chance to return from injury on Monday when the Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks.