Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks are in Minnesota for the first time since trading with the Timberwolves. Fans of every NBA team have been looking forward to this matchup for several months, and now it’s finally here.

The NBA arranged for the game to be nationally televised, with tipoff at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT. All players involved in the trade – KAT, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo – are available to play.

Mitchell Robinson and Kevin McCullar Jr., the only two Knicks who have not played this season, were the only two players on New York’s injury report Wednesday. Joe Ingles, who last played Nov. 1, is the only player with Minnesota.

The Knicks had a last-minute addition to their injury report on Thursday, a few hours before the game began. Josh Hart is questionable for personal reasons.

Josh Hart is listed as questionable for the Knicks’ game against the Timberwolves

Hart has started all 26 of New York’s games this season and is averaging a career-high 36.8 minutes per contest. He is the Knicks’ spark of energy, flying around the court and providing rebounds and diving for loose balls.

Should Hart miss the game, Precious Achiuwa would likely start in his place. Tom Thibodeau could bring Jericho Sims or Matt Ryan into the rotation, otherwise New York would be stuck with just seven players. It was challenging enough with an eight-man rotation.

Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti were with Westchester in Orlando for the G League 2024 Winter Showcase, but the Knicks recalled the rookies Thursday afternoon. It is significant that New York did this before Dadiet and Hukporti played in Westchester’s game against the Valley Suns. It seems like the Knicks are preparing for Hart not to play.

Hopefully everything is okay for Hart and his family. Fans will be disappointed if he doesn’t play in Minnesota, but there are things bigger than basketball.

New York’s next game is Saturday, Dec. 21, at New Orleans, where Hart spent two and a half seasons. If he misses the Timberwolves game, his status for the game against the Pelicans is uncertain.