Karl-Anthony Towns injury update: Knicks center questionable for Game 5
Karl-Anthony Towns injury update: Knicks center questionable for Game 5
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Can the Knicks summon more magic and comeback on Pacers?
The New York Knicks are no strangers to dramatic comebacks, but is a 3-1 deficit too much to come back on the Pacers?
Sports Pulse
It's do or die for the New York Knicks and the status of one of their stars is in question.
Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee contusion) is listed as questionable for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals as the series shifts back to New York with the Knicks trialing the Indiana Pacers 3-1. Towns injured his left knee late in the Knicks' 130-121 Game 4 loss to the Pacers after he bumped knees with Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Towns immediately went down and grabbed his left knee as he writhed in pain.
Towns gutted out the remainder of the game with a visible limp Tuesday and finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and three assists, which Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said was "a good sign." Thibodeau, however, said Towns' status for Game 5 on Thursday will come down to an evaluation on his knee.
Here's everything we know about Towns' injury:
Karl-Anthony Towns injury update: Knicks center questionable
New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee contusion) is listed as questionable ahead of Game 5 vs. the Indiana Pacers.
When asked about his knee on Tuesday, Towns shut down all talk of his injury and said he's "only thinking about the loss." He added, "I'm not thinking about (my knee) right now. It's disappointing when you don't get a win and we didn't do enough to get the job done tonight."
Towns injured the same knee that he suffered a torn meniscus in during the 2023-24 season while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was forced to miss an entire month with the injury before returning for the 2024 playoffs.
The five-time All-Star has averaged 25.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists through four games of the Eastern Conference finals. He had a team-high 24 points in the Knicks' Game 3 comeback win, when he scored 20 of his 24 in the fourth quarter as the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit.
"We've been a team that has kind of found a way to do the impossible when it seems impossible," Towns said on Tuesday. "We just keep fighting. This is going to be a testament to our whole playoff run. Now we have to be in the biggest fight of our life and of our season."
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
33 minutes ago
- USA Today
Sixers' Paul George makes bold claim about Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton
Sixers' Paul George makes bold claim about Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton The NBA is currently in a transition phase. The league is looking for its new face as the era of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant is about to end with all three legendary players nearing retirement. Without those three, the league will need to appoint a new face of the league. There are plenty of fantastic options to choose from. There's Jalen Brunson up in New York, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out in Oklahoma City, Nikola Jokic in Denver, and even Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. However, Sixers star Paul George has a name that not a lot of people are considering: Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. On an episode of "Podcast P with Paul George": In my eyes, I think he is a superstar. He's the face of the NBA. He is the number one option. He's a set-up point first, but he can be your late-game scorer. He's been a clutch performer late in games. He can be an isolation player--that's just not his calling. I want to see him continue to do this, which I know he will. Haliburton has the Pacers on the cusp of the NBA Finals as they currently lead the Knicks 3-2 in the Eastern Conference finals. As the series shifts back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 6 on Saturday, Haliburton will look to cement his case for being the new face of the NBA by guiding the Pacers to their first finals appearance since 2000.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hawks Legend Speaks on Kevin Durant's Legacy
Hawks Legend Speaks on Kevin Durant's Legacy originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant's legacy has long been a subject of fan debate. Since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019, the teams he's joined have struggled to reach the NBA Finals. This lack of deep playoff runs has fueled criticism, with fans questioning his legacy in the league. Advertisement Former Atlanta Hawks star Dominique Wilkins was asked his thoughts about Durant's legacy. Kyle Odegard of ESports Insider interviewed the Hawks legend earlier this week and had plenty of questions. One of Odegard's inquiries was about the 15-time All-Star. Given that Wilkins was once an All-Star in the NBA, he knew the impact the two-time champion had in the league. Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels dribbles while defended by Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Zanine-Imagn Images According to the former nine-time All-Star, KD has nothing left to prove in the league. "He's put his mark on the game. Kevin Durant doesn't need to prove anything to anybody about how great he is. He's one of the greatest players to ever play the game, one of the greatest scorers ever. He doesn't have to prove anything. Everything else is gravy," Wilkins said. Advertisement Additionally, Wilkins weighed in on Durant's looming offseason move. After the Suns missed the postseason, many have predicted that the star forward will force his way out of Phoenix and join a different franchise. According to The Human Highlight Film, he thinks KD should be comfortable with what he's won with the Warriors. Moving around "would be taxing" to Durant's body, given that he's already 36. Like KD, Wilkins had an impactful career in the NBA. During his prime years, he was one of the best athletes and often went toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan's athleticism. The former All-Star forward spent 12 years with the Hawks, leading them to numerous playoff appearances. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Wilkins couldn't provide a championship to the city. Still, his impact and legacy remain alive in the organization. He averaged 26.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists with the franchise. Advertisement Wilkins' No. 21 jersey was retired by the Hawks in 2001. Related: Three-Team NBA Trade Idea Has Lakers Cut Ties With Fan Favorite This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
36 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Rick Pitino Doesn't Hold Back About Thunder After NBA Finals Berth
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting to find out who they will play in the NBA Finals. After blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 124-94 on Wednesday night, the Thunder have punched their ticket to the championship round. Right now, the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks stands at 3-2 in favor of the Pacers. However, the Knicks were able to keep the series alive with a blowout win over Indiana on Thursday evening. Regardless of who wins the East, Oklahoma City has to be feeling good about the position it is in. Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28,... Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. More Photo byFollowing their NBA Finals berth, St. John's head coach and college basketball legend Rick Pitino has spoken out strongly about the Thunder. He is even using them as film for his team, which is a first in his career. Read more: Tyrese Haliburton Sends Bold Warning Before Pacers-Knicks Game 6 In a post on X, Pitino did not hold back from praising Oklahoma City, especially on the defensive end of the court. "It's interesting, in my 40+ years I've never shown clips to my teams of NBA defense," Pitino wrote. "Offensive sets and individual moves, but never defense. Until this past season. We watched the Thunder at least 3x a week. They're switching, loading up to help, and rotations are awesome. And they are still so young!!!" All season long, the Thunder have been dominant defensively. That defense has led to an elite offense as well. Throw in the fact that star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA's MVP award and Oklahoma City has the makings of a championship winner. They simply need to win four more games. Read more: Shocking Contender Named as Landing Spot for Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo During their series against the Timberwolves, the Thunder made Minnesota look lost. They made things very difficult on Anthony Edwards, with the star shooting guard averaging just 23 points per game and shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 28.2 percent from three-point range. With the NBA Finals set to begin on June 5, Oklahoma City is receiving much-deserved recognition. Pitino's praise is just one of many big names to talk about how special the Thunder have been and how dominant they have been playing. Both the Pacers and New York are quality teams, but if Oklahoma City keeps playing the way it has, neither team can match up. For more Oklahoma City Thunder and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
