Towns plays through Grade 2 quad strain, helps Knicks beat Cavaliers in opener
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NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns suited up Wednesday night despite a Grade 2 right quadriceps strain and delivered 19 points and 12 rebounds, guiding the New York Knicks to a 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular-season opener at Madison Square Garden.
The center’s availability was uncertain for most of the day. He was listed as doubtful early Wednesday afternoon, upgraded to questionable an hour later and finally cleared shortly before tipoff. “I’ve been banged up and really haven’t practiced or played in the last two preseason games,” Towns said. “I didn’t want to disappoint the fans.” He acknowledged feeling pain during the game and would not commit to playing Friday against the Boston Celtics.
Towns logged 31 minutes, spending much of the night on the low block against Evan Mobley and taking only four shots from beyond the arc. His performance proved timely for a Knicks roster already without center Mitchell Robinson (load management) and swingman Josh Hart (back).
Cleveland briefly seized a fourth-quarter lead behind Donovan Mitchell’s 31-point outburst, but New York responded with a 14-0 run to move ahead 101-89 with 8:45 remaining. The surge came while reigning Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson was on the bench for his customary rest.
Head coach Mike Brown, making his Knicks debut after replacing Tom Thibodeau, used 11 players and said the rotation remains fluid. “This team is deep,” Brown noted. “My job is to keep finding combinations that work.” He added that internal expectations are “extremely high” despite the early-season win.
The night also featured the usual celebrity flavor at the Garden, including a pregame greeting for Brown from longtime superfan Spike Lee.
New York and Cleveland entered the season widely viewed as Eastern Conference contenders. The Knicks will face the Celtics at TD Garden on Friday, while the Cavaliers return home to meet the Milwaukee Bucks the same night.
Source: ESPN
