The New York Knicks had to do without Karl-Anthony Towns for Tuesday night’s game with the Golden State Warriors.
His absence was felt as New York fell 114-102. While he wasn’t dealing with an injury, head coach Tom Thibodeau announced that he was dealing with personal issues.
Adding to the mystery for fans is the fact that Towns’ girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, shared a message on social media about cancer later that night.
“F**k cancer,” Woods wrote on X, though she didn’t provide any information about what the message was referencing or if it was related to Towns’ absence.
Woods lost her father to cancer in 2017, and her message garnered plenty of support from Knicks fans, including actor Ben Stiller.
“Agree,” Stiller wrote with orange and blue heart emojis.
Towns having a big season with the Knicks
Tuesday’s game was the sixth Towns has missed this season. The Knicks are 3-3 in those contests.
This is Towns’ first season in New York since being acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he is currently averaging 24.5 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.
As for whether Towns will be available for the Knicks when they begin their five-game West Coast trip, Thibodeau couldn’t give a clear answer.
“I can’t answer that,” he said. “I can’t, because I just don’t know, so when he’s ready to come back, obviously we want him back. But he needs some time right now.”
The Knicks currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 40-20 record.
