Towns (knee) sits out as Magic race past Knicks

NEW YORK — New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, dealing with a right knee injury, sat out his team’s 103-94 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Towns, who was listed as a game-time decision, didn’t play due to right knee tendinopathy. He fell hard during the closing minutes of his 44-point, 16-rebound, 5-assist performance in the Knicks’ loss at Chicago on Saturday. He left that game because of the injury, which caused him to limp.

The 29-year-old, acquired by the Knicks in October, is putting up career-best efficiency numbers and is also averaging an NBA-best 14 rebounds. Towns is also shooting a personal-best 44% on 3-pointers and averaging 25.3 points alongside Jalen Brunson for the Knicks, who are third in the Eastern Conference.

Without Towns on the floor, Cole Anthony had 24 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. added 19, as Orlando won for the third time in the past five games.