The Knicks were forced to operate without one of their stars Tuesday night against the Warriors, with center Karl-Anthony Towns out due to personal reasons, and that allowed for Mitchell Robinson to return to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 8, 2023.

Coach Tom Thibodeau declined to answer if Towns would be available when the Knicks start their five-game West Coast trip Thursday against the Lakers.

“I can’t answer that,” Thibodeau said before the Knicks lost 114-102 to Golden State at the Garden. “I can’t, because I just don’t know, so when he’s ready to come back, obviously we want him back. But he needs some time right now.”

For at least one night, the Knicks were forced to adjust without Towns.

He has dealt with recurring knee soreness and a thumb injury throughout the year, but it hasn’t stopped him from averaging 24.5 points and 13.4 rebounds during his first campaign with the Knicks.

Initially, it helped the Knicks overcome the loss of Robinson, but with Robinson back in the rotation and building up his role, the pair of centers will give Thibodeau plenty of depth — and options — to work with down the stretch.

Robinson, who flashed his potential when healthy during the overtime win against the Heat on Sunday, was still on a minutes restriction against the Warriors, Thibodeau said, and he finished with seven points and five rebounds in 15 minutes.

But his presence in the opening five marked another step in his recovery, even if Robinson described his conditioning as a “work in progress.”

“There were some really good plays,” Thibodeau said. “It’ll come. It’s about where we anticipated it.”

In his first two games this season, Robinson collected eight points, seven rebounds and a block.

“It felt great after missing 10 months,” Robinson said of his first home game since returning. “It was like finally back at the Garden.”

The Knicks filled the final two-way spot on their roster Tuesday, claiming guard Anton Watson off waivers from the Celtics, according to ESPN.

Watson, a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, hasn’t made his NBA debut.

The move occurred one day after the Knicks also added MarJon Beauchamp on a two-way deal as they filled the spots that opened when Matt Ryan and Jacob Toppin were waived earlier this week.

In 16 G-League games this season, Watson averaged 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.1 percent while logging nearly 30 minutes per game.

And across his five seasons with Gonzaga, Watson emerged as a 3-point threat, shooting over 42 percent from the field during his final season with the Bulldogs.