Why is Karl-Anthony Towns not playing against Cavaliers tonight? Knicks superstar's absence from game explored (April 11)

The New York Knicks big man - Karl-Anthony Towns - has been moved to the inactive list ahead of their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. NBA Insider Ian Begley reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Towns won't play against the top team in the Eastern Conference.

KAT is coming off a 25-point game against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. The Knicks suffered their second-straight loss and are looking to bounce back against the Cavs.

Heading into the game, Towns was listed as questionable because of a knee issue.

How many games have Karl-Anthony Towns missed this season?

Karl-Anthony Towns has been mostly available for the Knicks this year. Despite being in a new environment, Towns has adjusted well and is one of the more important players for New York. His availability has been one of his best assets in the 2024-25 campaign.

KAT has appeared in 72 games, missing only eight games. His absence against the Cavaliers will mark his ninth missed game. With the number of games he's been a part of, Towns is qualified to earn NBA Awards, which requires a minimum of 65 games played to be considered.

The Knicks have a record of 4-4 whenever Towns misses games. New York is hoping to get a win against the Cavs to improve their record without the All-Star big man.

Without the five-time All-Star in the starting lineup, the Knicks will look to give Mitchell Robinson heavier minutes than usual. Robinson has only played 16 games, two as a starter, this season as he's still recovering from an ankle surgery.

Against the Pistons, the longest-tenured player for the Knicks didn't play because of a left ankle surgery injury recovery. However, he's been removed from the injury report heading into the game against Cleveland.

The center is averaging 4.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game.

Towns is second in scoring for the Knicks, averaging 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He's also having one of the best years of his career shooting the basketball. He's making 52.6 percent of his field goals and 42 percent of his 3-pointers.

In the last five games KAT has played, he's averaged 26.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists. However, his reliability from beyond the arc hasn't been the same during that stretch. Towns have only knocked down 30.8 percent of his attempts from deep.