The Knicks are glad to have Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup, and he helped deliver the team’s second straight win in Tuesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.
But something is off about the Knicks center since he returned after missing a couple of games with a sprained thumb: his three-point shooting.
Towns entered Tuesday’s game shooting 44 percent from three, but he went 0-for-3 from deep in the Knicks’ win over the Nets. That followed a 1-for-6 performance from three in Monday’s win against the Atlanta Hawks.
The 29-year-old was asked about his thumb and how it was doing.
“It is what it is, at this point,” Towns said. “It is what it is.”
When Towns was set to miss his first game last week, a report said the center is also dealing with a bone chip in that same thumb on his shooting hand. But the plan was for Towns to play through it this season.
Towns was asked about that too, and “it is what it is” was repeated.
The Jersey native did give some insight into his injury when he was asked if it affected his three-point shooting.
“For sure,” Towns said matter of factly before adding later “I shot an air-ball too. That’s crazy.”
The Knicks were 1-1 in the two games Towns missed last week, but Jalen Brunson — whose fourth-quarter outburst lifted the team to the win Tuesday — said his teammate playing through his injury shows how tough he is.
“Shows toughness. Shows a lot of toughness,” Brunson said. “Regardless of what’s going on, mentally or physically, to come out here and play the way he does, we’re just happy to have him.”
Aside from the poor three-point shooting, you would never have known Towns was dealing with his thumb injury if you looked at Tuesday’s statlne. He scored 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting (61 percent), coming down with 16 rebounds and dishing six assists to go along with three steals and two blocks.
A complete game from Towns.
“I work hard on my game,” Towns said of his versatility when his shot isn’t going down. “I’m not just a three-point shooter. I can be more than [a shooter].”
With Towns back in the lineup, the Knicks are 2-0 heading into a much-needed break. His thumb, and three-point shooting, will be something to continue monitoring in the coming days.
