Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns hurts left wrist, returns taped in 133-127 win at Chicago

Karl-Anthony Towns gave the Knicks a scare in the first quarter Wednesday night in Chicago. He then came back and helped them hold on for a 133-127 win over the Bulls, their second victory in a row.

USA TODAY Sports reported that the injury happened on a routine possession. Jalen Brunson brought the ball up and passed it to Towns, who was standing just inside the three-point line. Bulls forward Noa Essengue, chasing Brunson around the perimeter, ran into Towns and knocked him down. Towns stayed on the floor for a moment, clearly in pain. Citing ESPN, USA TODAY said he went to the locker room with a wrist injury and returned after the training staff taped his left wrist.

The wrist did not seem to slow him down much. According to ESPN's game recap, Towns finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Brunson carried the offense with 38 points and seven assists. The game stayed close to the end. New York outscored Chicago 40-31 in the fourth quarter to pull away after trailing at halftime.

The key question is what happens to the wrist once it stiffens overnight. The sources do not report an official diagnosis, imaging results or a status for the Knicks' next game. Because Towns came back and played heavy minutes, the injury was not severe enough to end his night. That is all the reporting confirms so far. Watch the team's injury report before Friday.

What it means for Friday in Philadelphia

The Knicks are 2-3. After a slow start, the last two games have started to settle the season. They opened with three straight losses: 106-100 at home to Philadelphia, 107-103 at Boston and 111-102 at home to Orlando. Since then they have beaten Detroit 111-97 at the Garden and won Wednesday's high-scoring game at the United Center. USA TODAY referred to them as the defending champions, which makes the 0-3 start look stranger.

The schedule now brings back the team that started the skid. New York visits the 76ers on Friday, October 30, on Prime Video. Philadelphia won the opener by six points, and the Knicks finished with 100 points that night. Their offense has picked up since then, with 111 points against Detroit and 133 in Chicago.

Towns is central to the matchup. He is the Knicks' main frontcourt scorer and rebounder, and his 13 rebounds against the Bulls show how much New York relies on him on the glass. If the wrist limits his shooting or his ability to finish through contact, more of the scoring load will fall on Brunson. Brunson is already doing a lot: he scored 38 in Chicago, and the Knicks needed nearly all of them to escape.

The quick turnaround also matters. Friday is the second road game in three days, and Towns will have one day to recover after the hit. If he plays without restrictions, New York gets a chance to avenge its opening loss and climb back to .500. If his wrist is taped heavily or his minutes are limited, the rematch could look a lot like the opener.