NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined for his second consecutive game due to a sprained right thumb, missing the matchup against his previous team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, during the New York Knicks’ game on Friday night.

In Towns’ absence, Jericho Sims took over as the starting center for the Knicks. Towns sustained his injury in a game against Detroit on Monday and did not participate in the Knicks’ victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday.

This game marked the Timberwolves’ first visit to New York since Towns was traded to the Knicks, who sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota just after training camps commenced. Notably, the Knicks had previously secured a win against the Timberwolves last month.

Along with Towns, DiVincenzo also missed the game after sustaining a sprained left big toe later in a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, despite having a standout performance with a season-high of 28 points. DiVincenzo had recently earned a spot in Minnesota’s starting lineup prior to his injury, leading to Mike Conley starting in his place on Friday night.