The New York Knicks are set to play the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, October 30, in the first day of NBA Cup action in a game that will feature star center Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the latest injury update.
Towns suffered a slight wrist injury during the Knicks’ win over the Chicago Bulls, and though he was featured on the injury report, he is set to play against the 76ers.
Just before the game, the Knicks’ starting lineup and final injury report were confirmed for Friday night after the news of Towns being upgraded for Friday night.
New York Knicks Starting Lineup Vs 76ers
Per NBA.com and a post by the team, the Knicks’ starting lineup was announced.
Here is the group of starters head coach Mike Brown is going with against Philadelphia:
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Josh Hart
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Karl-Anthony Towns
When all five are healthy, this is the typical Knicks’ starting lineup, as it’s the group that led the team to a title last season. There were some concerns that Towns wouldn’t be available, but since he’s been upgraded, he’s getting the starting nod.
As for the 76ers, Philly has to go with a bit different starting lineup on Friday night. Here’s the group head coach Nick Nurse picked out:
PG: Tyrese Maxey
SG: VJ Edgecombe
SF: Dean Wade
PF: LeBron James
C: Joel Embiid
While the 76ers are still star-studded, after one key injury update from the team, Wade has joined the starting lineup.
Karl-Anthony Towns Update And Full Knicks vs 76ers Injury Report
As mentioned, Towns suffered a wrist injury in Chicago on Wednesday night. He briefly left the game, but returned to help the Knicks pull out a clutch win.
“Karl-Anthony Towns exited to the locker room in the first quarter of the New York Knicks’ Wednesday game against the Chicago Bulls due to an apparent left wrist injury,” Basketnews.com wrote. “After entering the locker room to have his wrist checked, Towns subsequently returned to the game. Towns shrugged off his wrist issues and still finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in 28 minutes to help the Knicks’ 133-127 win on Wednesday against the Bulls.”
The Knicks star center was subsequently listed on the injury report as probable, but was upgraded to available shortly before tipoff, now confirmed in the Knicks’ starting lineup.
New York will be without backup guard Jose Alvarado, as he is the only other player on the injury report, currently dealing with a left ankle sprain.
As for the 76ers, the one player left off the starting lineup and currently on the injury report is star forward Jaylen Brown. He was previously questionable for the game due to left knee soreness, but in the hours before tipoff, he was officially ruled out.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Brown is dealing with left patellar tendinopathy, and it is unknown if it will lead to a long-term absence. Along with him, the 76ers injury report features Dominick Barlow, Tacko Fall, Ariel Hukporti, and Jabari Walker.
While the Knicks’ starting five is the same as it usually is, Philadelphia is dealing with several key injuries, and the Brown’s is impacting who starts the game for them on Friday night.
The 76ers beat the Knicks in the season opener, so this is a chance for New York to take a game back still early in the season.
The matchup between the two top Eastern Conference title contenders starts at 7:30 pm EST on Friday, October 30th, and will be live on Amazon Prime Video.
Knicks Announce Starting Lineup For 76ers Game After Karl-Anthony Towns Injury