Curtsy center Karl Anthony cities suffered an injury to the thumb of his shooting hand in Monday’s loss to Detroit, but did not comment further after the game, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. During a postgame session with reporters, Towns kept his hand in his pocket and responded: “It is what it is” four times during the interview.

Towns hit his hand on the backboard in the first half and it seemed to bother him for the rest of the game, Bondy notes. Some of his subsequent shots missed badly, but he still played 43 minutes and finished the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds

According to Bondy, his hand was hit again late in the third quarter and he grabbed it in pain as he ran into the crowd. Towns refused to disclose whether X-rays had been taken, and the coach refused Tom Thibodeau just said, “I haven’t spoken to the doctor yet” when asked about the injury.

“They shot when they had to.” Towns explained the loss. “We could sit here and talk about everything we could have done. We just didn’t do it. Cost us in the end.”

There’s more from New York:

• The Knicks are on a journey of discovery Jericho Sims‘ Value in the trading market, sources tell Bondy in a separate story. The backup big man was recently replaced in the rotation by Ariel Hukportiand he missed Monday’s game because of back spasms. According to one of Bondy’s sources, there is some interest in Sims around the league and the Knicks are seeking a second-round pick in return. That would be a markdown from the offseason, when the team reportedly wanted two second-rounders. Sims will be a free agent this summer.
• The availability of Sims coincides with the upcoming return of Mitchell Robinsonwho is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, Bondy added. Thibodeau said Robinson is expected to begin training sometime this month, but he has not yet been cleared to sprint. “This is the next step” Thibodeau told reporters. “He’s just taking some lighting shots.”
• Towns has opened up the offense since joining Minnesota in October, explains James L. Edwards of The Athletic in a review of the first half of the season. The Knicks have a 26-15 record through their first 41 games, good for third place in the East as Edwards notes that shooting efficiency has been much better and they have been able to avoid serious injuries. On the other hand, there were too many defensive failures, the bench didn’t do enough to earn Thibodeau’s trust, and the team ranks just 24th in three-point attempts per game.