Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart look fine as they battle injuries

Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart both participated in practice Sunday, but they are listed as questionable for the Knicks’ MLK Day matinee against the Hawks.Towns has missed the past two games due to a right thumb issue and Hart played through what looked like a painful left shoulder injury suffered in the third quarter of Friday’s home loss to the Timberwolves.The Knicks officially listed his injury as a neck/cervical compression.“They went through practice, and we’ll see where they are tomorrow,” Tom Thibodeau said Sunday.“They were fine.”Jalen Brunson said both of his teammates “looked fantastic” in practice, jokingly saying they’re both “great-looking men.”Asked about Hart, his longtime teammate with Villanova and the Knicks, Brunson said, “Being able to play through pain, that’s just who [Hart] is, and he’s always been like that.”“Normally, he’s not one of those guys that is gonna stay down long.

If he can go, he goes,” Thibodeau added of Hart.“He’s tough-minded, and so it was good to have him come back and then to see him out there today.

We’ll see how he responds [Monday].” According to Brunson, playing on the MLK Day holiday “means a lot,” and he called it “a privilege to play this game in this league.” “It’s more of a privilege to play on days like this.You play on Christmas Day, on MLK Day, it means a lot and especially what he stood for and what he believed in.

I think most importantly, we continue to talk about him and praise him for the things he did and just be thankful because a lot of us wouldn’t be in the positions that we’re in.” Thibodeau: “I think it’s an important day for not only our league, but our country.I think all the things that Martin Luther King stood for, it’s withstood the test of time.

And it was the equality for all people, not one particular group.It was for everybody, and it’s really strong and powerful.

And I think it represents our league.” Zaccha...