Sometimes, all you need is one good eye. Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a bloody cut in the first quarter on Wednesday as the New York Knicks hosted the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. He, however, refused to merely watch from the bench, especially with his hampered vision.
Towns swiftly returned to action after getting stitches above his right eye.
At the start of the fourth quarter, with the Knicks trying to hold on to their slim lead, Towns was asked about his condition. He made it clear that he had to be on the floor.
“I want to play. It's a great game, it's great basketball being played right now on TV, and you know, this is what the fans want,” said the six-time All-Star in an interview with ESPN.
“It's okay, I look like I fought Shakur Stevenson.”
"I wanna play… It's okay, I look like I fought Shakur Stevenson."
Karl-Anthony Towns on wearing an eye bandage 😅pic.twitter.com/zp66dLCEfg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 5, 2026
The 30-year-old Towns was referring to the four-division boxing champion. Curiously, the WBC stripped Stevenson of his lightweight title just a few hours before the Knicks battled the Nuggets.
Stevenson beat Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden on Saturday to capture the belt.
The Knicks and the Nuggets traded punches, with the game going into double overtime. When the final bell rang, the Knicks survived, 134-127, to nail their eighth straight win.
Towns had a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds. He shot 9-of-13 from the field. Jalen Brunson led New York with a game-high 42 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.
OG Anunoby added 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.




















