Karl-Anthony Towns Questionable For Knicks Elimination Game

This latest comeback will take a village but it's questionable if the New York Knicks will have the Towns to compete in a do-or-die showing at the Eastern Conference Finals.

The New York injury report for Game 5 of the series against the Indiana Pacers, which shifts back to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, lists Karl-Anthony Towns as questionable to partake due to a knee contusion. The Knicks' season will end with one more Pacers win after the latter took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven set on Tuesday.

Tuesday was a painful experience for Towns in more ways than one: with just over two minutes remaining in Game 4, Towns made knee-to-knee contact with Aaron Nesmith, which left both players writhing on the Gainbridge Fieldhouse hardwood. Each nonetheless remained in the game and Towns played all of the remaining 2:15.

In the aftermath, Towns was reluctant to speak about his status, concerned only with the dire situation the Knicks found themselves in. Head coach Tom Thibodeau offered a little more clarity, saying that Towns would be evaluated, though he was optimistic over the fact that his All-Star center finished the game (h/t Jordan Mendoza of USA Today). Towns put up a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double in defeat.

In addition to the continued absence of Isaiah Jackson (Achilles), the Pacers once again placed Nesmith on their own injury report. Nesmith, infamous among Knicks fans for his role in Indiana's Game 1 comeback, had the same designation for Game 4 after temporarily leaving the prior game early due to ankle issues.