Karl-Anthony Towns revealed he played through a Grade 2 quadriceps strain during the New York Knicks’ thrilling 119-111 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in their season opener on Wednesday night.
Leading up to the game, Towns had been sidelined for the Knicks’ final two preseason matches due to a quad issue. His participation in the opening game at Madison Square Garden was uncertain, with his status shifting from probable to doubtful and finally to questionable just hours before tip-off.
Following the Knicks’ victory, which marked a strong start against last season’s conference-leading Cavaliers, Towns opened up about the extent of his injury.
“I’ve been dealing with some injuries and missed those last two preseason games, but I didn’t want to let the fans down,” Towns shared post-game from his locker. “Playing with a Grade 2 quad strain isn’t easy, yet we pulled through. I’m grateful the fans appreciated my effort tonight, and my teammates stood by me, understanding what I was going through.”
Despite the injury, Towns delivered a solid performance with 19 points, shooting 5-of-12 from the field, alongside 11 rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes of play.
“Every single one of those rebounds was crucial,” head coach Mike Brown remarked following the game.
It was easily Towns’ best performance of the early season after the middling exhibition games to tune-up for the real thing.
“Oh I was hurting for sure,” said Towns. “It’s been a day for me living in it, and for y’all trying to report it, so it’s been one hell of a day. But I’m glad at the end, God’s good. We got a win, New York’s happy, the fans are happy. Things are good.”
Towns is part of a laundry list of Knicks players who battled injuries through training camp. The Knicks ruled Josh Hart (lumbar spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle load management) out against the Cavaliers, and OG Anunoby also dealt with a tweaked ankle that kept him out of the preseason finale.
With a shorthanded lineup, Brown stretched his rotation to 11 players on Wednesday.
“Just allowing ourselves to change the energy of the game at any time,” said Towns. “We’ve got a lot of guys in here who are pros and giving them a chance to affect the game and impact winning is a great testament to, one, the trust that us teammates have in each other here in this locker room, and [two] the coaching staff trusting the players, so shout out to them.”
