Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns: Plays 15 minutes in Knicks debut
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Towns finished Sunday's preseason game against Charlotte with 10 points (2-7 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), four rebounds and two steals in 15 minutes.
Making his Knicks debut, Towns started at center, as anticipated, alongside Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson. While he played only 15 minutes, Towns was able to launch five three-point attempts and work his way to the line six times. The veteran will be a key piece for the new-look Knicks, who acquired Bridges in the offseason and sent out both Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in the deal for Towns.
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Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns: Dealt to Knicks
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Towns was dealt to the Knicks on Friday in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Towns was the No. 1 overall selection for the Timberwolves in the 2015 NBA Draft. He has averaged 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.7 triples in 34.0 minutes across nine seasons. He will now start at center for the Knicks in their new-look offense during the upcoming season. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau coached Towns in Minnesota from 2016-2019. During that stretch, Towns averaged 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks with 53/40/84 shooting splits.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Goes down swinging
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Towns ended Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals with 28 points (9-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal across 38 minutes.
Despite putting up his best game of the series Thursday, Towns' efforts weren't enough to avoid defeat. The 28-year-old big man tied Anthony Edwards for a team-high 28 points and led Minnesota in rebounding. Towns will finish the Western Conference Finals averaging 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.2 minutes. He also struggled mightily with his efficiency, shooting just 37.9 percent from the field and 24.2 percent from three across the five games.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Improves in Game 4
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Towns closed with 25 points (9-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 105-100 victory over the Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Towns had been heavily criticized due to his shooting struggles throughout the series, but he bounced back in a big way Tuesday, missing just one of his five attempts from beyond the arc and just four of his 17 shots overall when including free throws. One game won't erase all his struggles, but this was certainly a step in the right direction. Towns will need to produce at this rate again if Minnesota is going to win Game 5 on Thursday to extend the series.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Subpar effort once again
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Towns provided 14 points (5-18 FG, 0-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 11 rebounds and three assists across 38 minutes during Sunday's 116-107 loss to Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
Towns can't find an offensive rhythm, and the star big man had another woeful showing, particularly from three-point range, where he missed all eight of his attempts. The double-double was a nice outcome for the fantasy managers who continue to trust him, but it's worth noting Towns has yet to reach the 20-point mark in any game of the series while shooting a woeful 27.8 percent from the field, including 13.6 percent from deep.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Poor shooting in Game 1
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Towns racked up 16 points (6-20 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 108-105 loss to Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Timberwolves need Towns to be consistent as an offensive threat, and while the numbers have been there most of the time, the efficiency has been lacking. Towns has scored at least 20 points in four of his last eight appearances since the start of the series against the Nuggets while shooting 47.4 percent from the field in that span, so he seems to be getting the job done even when he has an off night from time to time. Given he only made 30 percent of his shots in Game 1 on Wednesday, Towns will aim to bounce back in Game 2 on Friday.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Records double-double
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Towns finished Thursday's 115-70 victory over Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds and five assists across 29 minutes.
Towns had a couple of clutch buckets in the early stages of the game, but for the most part, he took a backseat in the scoring column as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels carried Minnesota offensively in this win. The Timberwolves need Towns to be at his best if they want to have a shot at winning a complicated Game 7 on the road, and for that to happen, he'll need to be even more aggressive on the offensive end of the court, an area in which he hasn't been consistent throughout the series. Towns has reached the 20-point mark in four of the six games he's played in the semis, and the Timberwolves have gone 3-1 in those contests.
Towns left Tuesday's game versus the Nuggets with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter due to an apparent left knee injury but checked back in with 1:23 left in the first quarter.
Towns appeared to aggravate the left knee that he had surgically repaired in March after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope inadvertently tripped him, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports. However, Towns missed less than a minute of game action and should be available to finish Tuesday's contest.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Struggles from field Sunday
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Towns posted 13 points (5-18 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 38 minutes during Sunday's 115-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Towns might have ended with a double-double, and his overall stat line looked decent despite the loss. Still, his shooting woes are impossible to overlook, especially in a game where the Timberwolves needed him to provide a spark on offense. Towns needs to be better offensively for the Wolves. Otherwise, he forces players such as Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley to handle bigger roles on offense, and that's not a recipe for success. Towns is averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 50.9 percent from the field in the series, and he needs to shake off this woeful showing in Game 5 on Tuesday.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Leader from deep in Game 3 loss
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Towns posted 14 points (4-7 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and three assists over 33 minutes in Friday's 117-90 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Towns didn't get much going offensively outside of connecting on a team-high mark from three, ending the contest as one of four players with a double-digit point total to go along with a handful of rebounds in a losing effort. Towns failed to reach the 15-point mark for just the second time this postseason, and he had scored at least 20 points in each of the first two games against Denver. Towns may have to come out in Game 4 looking for more opportunities offensively and displaying more aggressiveness if Minnesota wants to take a commanding 3-1 series advantage.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Efficient double-double in win
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Towns closed with 27 points (10-15 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal across 36 minutes during Monday's 106-80 win over the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Towns was tasked with more responsibility on the defensive end since Rudy Gobert (personal) was unavailable for this contest. Even though he had to deal with Nikola Jokic on both ends of the court, Towns thrived and posted a great stat line. This was Towns' third double-double over his last four playoff appearances, and he's expected to return to his role at power forward in case Gobert is ready to return for Game 3 of the series, scheduled for Friday.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Double-doubles in Game 3
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Towns registered 18 points (7-16 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 13 rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes during Friday's 126-109 win over the Suns in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Towns needed 16 shots to score 18 points, but he still made his presence felt and looked active on the glass, grabbing double-digit boards despite being limited to just 24 minutes due to foul trouble. Towns has adjusted well to life operating as Minnesota's second offensive option behind Anthony Edwards, and he remains extremely valuable in fantasy as a two-way big man who can shoot threes at an above-average rate. He's averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the current series while shooting an elite 45.5 percent (5-for-11) from beyond the arc.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Limited in Game 2 victory
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Towns finished Tuesday's 105-93 win over the Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals with 12 points (3-7 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal over 24 minutes.
The coaching staff continues to monitor Towns' minutes after he made a late-season return from a knee injury. He also picked up four fouls in quick time, perhaps limiting his time on the floor Tuesday. Over the Timberwolves' first two playoff matchups this year, he's averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.5 minutes per game. Minnesota has won each game by double-digit margins, so it's possible Towns' minutes increase slightly when the team is in a closer matchup.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Good to go
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Towns (knee) will play in Sunday's game against the Suns, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Towns and Anthony Edwards (illness) will both get the green light for the regular-season finale, as the Timberwolves attempt to secure the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Towns returned to action Friday following an 18-game absence and posted 11 points, eight assists, five rebounds and one block in 28 minutes during a win over Atlanta.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Questionable for finale
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Towns (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Suns.
Towns returned to action Friday against the Hawks, his first game since March 4. He posted 11 points (4-11 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight assists, five rebounds and one block across 28 minutes, but now the Timberwolves are considering a maintenance day to make sure he's fresh for the postseason.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Shines as facilitator in return
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Towns (knee) posted 11 points (4-11 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight assists, five rebounds and one block across 28 minutes Friday in the Timberwolves' 109-106 win over the Hawks.
Towns made his return to the lineup for the first time since March 4 after a five-plus-week recovery from surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee. The Timberwolves didn't announce heading into Friday's game that Towns would be on a specific minutes restriction, but he ended up seeing more playing time than some might have expected in his return from a major injury. Though Towns' shooting was off the mark in his return, his eight assists matched his season high. The Timberwolves are currently tied with the Thunder and Nuggets atop the Western Conference standings, so expect Towns to take on more minutes in Sunday's regular-season finale with the Suns while Minnesota remains in a battle for the No. 1 seed.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Set to return against Atlanta
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Towns (knee) announced Friday that he will play in Friday's game versus the Hawks.
Towns will return to action Friday after missing Minnesota's last 18 games with a left knee injury. While the star big man should reclaim his starting spot from Naz Reid, it wouldn't be surprising for Towns to operate on a minutes restriction against Atlanta.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Expected to return Friday
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Towns (knee), who is questionable for Friday's game against the Hawks, is expected to return to action against Atlanta, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Towns has been trending toward a return to action recently, as he was recently cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 basketball activities in practice. He was expected to return sometime during the Timberwolves' final three games of the regular season, and it appears likely that he'll be back in action for the team's penultimate matchup. Assuming he's available, Minnesota will likely monitor his playing time ahead of the playoffs.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Questionable against Atlanta
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Towns (knee) is questionable for Friday's game against Atlanta.
Towns has missed the last 18 games due to a left knee injury, but he's been ramping up his activity level in practice recently and could be back in action for one of the Timberwolves' final two regular-season games. If he's able to suit up Friday, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 28-year-old face a minutes restriction to preserve his health ahead of the postseason.
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Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Officially ruled out against Denver
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Towns (knee) won't play in Wednesday's game versus the Nuggets.
Towns will miss his 18th straight game Wednesday due to a left knee injury, as expected. However, the star big man is reportedly nearing a return, with Friday's matchup against Atlanta being his next opportunity to suit up.
