Karl-Anthony Towns admits that he almost did not play for the Knicks on Friday

Karl-Anthony Towns admits that he almost did not play for the Knicks on Friday originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Karl-Anthony Towns was dealing with a big personal issue this week, as his father had a medical emergency.

Considering Towns has had a tumultuous history with his family, he wanted to be there for his father during a tough time. Despite the emergency, Towns' father made sure to give his son his blessing to play the game. The New York Knicks center wanted to step away from the team, but KAT's father made him play the game.

It was an important decision because the Knicks needed him and his double-double of 26 points and 15 rebounds. The Knicks almost did not have Karl-Anthony Towns against the Nets The Knicks almost lost to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, 93-92. It was one of the most disappointing performances of the 2025-26 season for the Knicks.

Jalen Brunson did not have the best performance, as he only scored 17 points on an inefficient 7-for-19 from the field. Thankfully, Towns filled in as the star for the night with his big-time double-double. If he were not present, the Knicks could have easily lost the game, especially with the slow start they had, which made head coach Mike Brown show his frustration after the game.