The New York Knicks have protected home court all season, with just one exception: their loss to the Orlando Magic, who return to Madison Square Garden tonight. New York will be desperate to seek revenge, but plans changed quickly. Just hours before tipoff, the team was dealt a major blow with the news that Karl-Anthony Towns will not suit up.

The Knicks center, who has dealt with a lot throughout his career, will miss tonight’s massive clash because of a calf injury. This is a massive blow for New York, as they needed KAT’s presence tonight against an extremely physical Orlando team. However, the question is how the big man sustained this injury?

What happened to Karl-Anthony Towns?

It all started when the Knicks center was listed as questionable ahead of Sunday’s game with a slight tightness in his left calf. Although no reports at that time suggested that this was a serious issue, ClutchPoints’ Kris Pursiainen noted that Karl-Anthony Towns was seen working on his calf during the third quarter of Friday’s game.

This should’ve been a clear indication that something was not right with his calf. More so, because he only played for 22 minutes against the Jazz, which is significantly lower than his season average of 33.1 minutes per game. However, before anyone could second-guess that, Mike Brown’s statement after the game suggested that everything is good with the big man.

Top Stories

Sophie Cunningham’s Sharp Response Divides WNBA Fans Amid Caitlin Clark’s Project B Decision

Are LeBron James, Luka Doncic Playing Tonight? Lakers vs. 76ers Full Injury Report (Dec 7)

Caitlin Clark Bearing Witness As Indiana Headlines First-Ever Milestone in 58 Years

Did Lakers Sign Chris Paul to a Season-Long Deal? Fact-Checking Viral Claim

Warriors Fans Divided Over Steve Kerr’s Controversial Jonathan Kuminga & Brandin Podziemski Claims

However, he’s been ruled out for tonight’s game. While this should not instantly ring alarm bells in the Big Apple, it’s certainly one to keep an eye out for in the coming days. That’s because if Karl-Anthony Towns misses multiple games, it could be disastrous for the Knicks, given that they are currently 15-7, three games behind the Detroit Pistons.

What is Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury status and expected return date?

Currently, there’s not much information available about KAT’s calf injury. However, a Grade I calf strain, which seems to be one that the New York Knicks’ star center has sustained, takes about a few days up to a week or two to heal. If the 29-year-old’s injury is a Grade II or a Grade III strain, things could look a lot different.

Those injuries could take anywhere from several weeks to months to recover from, and often even require surgery. Hopefully, that might not be the case with Karl-Anthony Towns’ current injury. So, even though there’s no official confirmation as of writing, we can expect him to miss at least a week’s action, which could force the Knicks to alter their starting five starting tonight.

How will the New York Knicks line up without Karl-Anthony Towns?

Well, Karl-Anthony Towns has been one of the biggest contributors to this Knicks team this season. So, replacing such a big player would more often than not be a hectic task for any team, but probably not for New York. Although KAT’s absence will be daunting, the Knicks have more than enough depth on their roster to stay afloat while he’s gone.

Mitchell Robinson will be the most likely replacement for Towns. Although he’s not quite the scorer, Robinson brings elite rim protection to the table. This season, the 27-year-old has been averaging 3.5 points along with 8.1 rebounds while shooting 65.7 percent from the field. Not to mention, head coach Mike Brown could also explore the option of playing Guerschon Yabusele at the five.

Nonetheless, either way, it seems like New York will be able to manage things while Karl-Anthony Towns recovers from his calf injury. And so, here’s how the Knicks could start without their superstar center as they host the Orlando Magic at the Garden tonight:

Despite missing KAT, the Knicks’ starting lineup looks pretty impressive. While there’s no doubt that others, such as Brunson and Hart, will have to compensate hugely for Towns’ scoring, apart from that, they do look like a pretty solid unit that can take on any challenge put in front of them.