Karl-Anthony Towns joined the Knicks list of absences.
He was out due to illness in a 111-99 loss to the Hawks on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. He was added to the injury report on Friday and was listed as questionable.
He warmed up and was considered a decision during the match, but was apparently not good enough to play.
Coach Mike Brown said after the game that Towns was dealing with a stomach problem.
Ariel Hukporti was inserted into the starting lineup in his place.
He finished with eight points and sixteen rebounds. It also meant more minutes for Guerschon Yabusele, who recorded eight points and four rebounds.
It meant the Knicks were without Towns, Josh Hart (ankle), Landry Shamet (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (load management).
It’s the third straight game and 12th this year that Robinson has missed as the Knicks tried to manage his left ankle.
After Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs, Brown said Robinson will play one of the back-to-back games the Knicks have on Friday and Saturday – the latter against the 76ers at MSG. So unless there is a change in plans, Robinson should return for Saturday’s game.
“Mitch has been great for us,” Brown said. “It would have been great if he was available, but he wasn’t. So the next guy has to step up and Ariel ended up playing 28 minutes and he did a pretty good job there. He had 17 rebounds and that’s what you want from that center position. You want someone who goes against the glass and he did a pretty good job of that.”
Brown didn’t have much news on Hart when the Knicks returned home from a three-game road trip. He is doing light court work and will be reevaluated next Friday.
Friday marks the fourth straight game he has missed due to an ankle sprain.
Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December.
He played 13 games in December and averaged 30.6 points and 7.1 assists per game on 47.5 percent shooting from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range.
#KarlAnthony #Towns #Knicks #loss #Hawks #stomach #problems