star missed game due to rivalry with teammate, not family friend's death

 

Draymond Green insinuates Knicks star missed game due to rivalry with teammate, not family friend's death

Karl-Anthony Towns sat out a game this week, and it was first reported he sat out due to "personal reasons."

Rumors spread, and it was found that Towns' girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, had a close friend who died of breast cancer.

Towns rejoined the team two days after funeral services were held, but apparently, Draymond Green had heard something different regarding Towns' absence.

Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns (Imagn)

The Knicks were playing the Golden State Warriors, which feature Towns' former teammate Jimmy Butler.

Green claimed he had heard that Towns did not want to play against Butler.

"Some would say that he didn't play because Jimmy was in the building. I don't know," Green said on his podcast. "They say KAT didn't play because Jimmy came into town. You know him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota."

Towns faced Butler earlier this year, when Butler was with the Miami Heat, and scored 44 points.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket against Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center.  (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

Towns had explained that it was "one of those times where I needed to be present for my family." Green hadn't realized until after Thursday's 121-119 win over Brooklyn by the Warriors.

"Aww man, sorry to hear that, that's disappointing," Green told reporters. "But the words that I have said, and what was described to me were this. And that is what I got out of it. So yeah, I wish the best of my wishes for him and his family."

"But," he said later, "the 'Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis' is ongoing."

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center.  (Sergio Estrada/Imagn Images)

Towns struggled in his comeback to the starting lineup, posting 3-for-13 from the floor in Los Angeles with just 12 points. He's scoring double that this season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.