The New York Knicks picked up their first win of the season on Wednesday, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111, but it didn’t come unscathed for the Knicks.
After the game, Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters that he is playing through a Grade 2 quad strain.
Towns was originally questionable heading into the matchup, then downgraded to doubtful, then upgraded back to questionable before playing against the Cavaliers.
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Towns explains his reasoning for playing through injury
Despite the injury, Towns played 31 minutes, scoring 19 points on 5-12 shooting, and grabbing 11 rebounds in the win. The Knicks were also without Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson in this game.
Towns detailed why he decided to suit up after the game.
“I didn't want to disappoint the fans,” Towns said. “It's not something that's easy to deal with. We made it happen tonight. I'm glad the fans respected the effort I put in to play tonight.”
It has yet to be indicated whether Towns will continue to play through the injury or miss any time.
The Knicks will play again on Friday at home against the Boston Celtics. One of the most important players on the team, his long-term health is ultimately more important than anything for a Knicks team looking to snap a 52-year title drought in 2026.
The Knicks can’t risk Towns going down for an extended period of time and will have to be extra cautious with him going forward.
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