Report: Karl-Anthony Towns Available for Knicks vs. Lakers After Missing Warriors Game
Karl-Anthony Towns will reportedly be available for the New York Knicks matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, per SNY's Ian Begley, after missing Tuesday's 114-102 loss against the Golden State Warriors for undisclosed personal reasons.
"I can't answer that," head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters Tuesday when asked if Towns would be joining the team on its upcoming five-game road trip. "I can't, because I just don't know, so when he's ready to come back, obviously we want him back. But he needs some time right now."
With Towns out of the lineup on Tuesday, Mitchell Robinson—who returned recently from an ankle injury that had sidelined him for the entirety of the 2024-25 season to this point—got his first start of the season, putting up seven points and five rebounds in 15 minutes as he remains on a minutes restriction.
"It's a work in progress," Thibodeau told reporters about Robinson's defensive performance after the game. "There were some really good plays. It'll come. It's about what we anticipated."
Robinson was critical of his own showing.
"For me, I gotta be more talkative," he said. "Didn't communicate with the guys as much as I should have. I could be better defensively. Let a guy get behind me too many times, which is something I don't let happen often."
As for Towns, the 29-year-old has been excellent in his first season with the Knicks, averaging 24.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a steal per game, shooting 53 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three.
The Knicks have gone 40-21 and are currently third in the Eastern Conference, led by the core group of Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. While they have looked at times like legitimate contenders, their struggles against top teams like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder have dampened expectations.
