Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is facing a setback in his season as reports reveal he has a torn meniscus and will require surgery to address the issue, as per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to the latest update, Towns will undergo surgery and will be reevaluated after a month. The hope is that he will be fit to return to action in time for the postseason.
This development follows Towns’ absence from Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to what was initially diagnosed as knee soreness. However, earlier reports hinted at a more severe condition—a torn meniscus. The exact timing of the injury remains uncertain.
For the Timberwolves, currently precariously holding onto the top seed in the Western Conference with a record of 44-19, Towns’ absence poses a significant challenge. They are just half a game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-19), 1.5 games ahead of the defending champion Denver Nuggets (42-20), and three games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers (40-21).
Between now and the conclusion of the regular season on April 14, the Timberwolves are scheduled to face the Nuggets three times and the Clippers once, presumably without Towns in their lineup.
Towns, 28, had been enjoying a productive season in the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and an impressive 42.3 percent from three-point range. His contributions as a secondary scorer, a strong rebounder, and a floor-spacing big have been invaluable to the team.
With Towns sidelined, the burden of scoring falls heavily on young superstar Anthony Edwards, as other starters like Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Jaden McDaniels are not known for their offensive prowess.
ANT MAN SAVES THE DAY 🐜
Anthony Edwards scores 44 PTS and skies for an INCREDIBLE last-second rejection to seal the Timberwolves win! pic.twitter.com/lQUyMfbYSV
— NBA (@NBA) March 8, 2024
This was evident in Thursday night’s game against the Pacers, where the Timberwolves narrowly secured a victory with Edwards leading the charge with 44 points and a crucial block.
Gobert emerged as the team’s second-leading scorer with 18 points in Towns’ absence.
In Thursday’s game, Kyle Anderson stepped into the starting lineup in place of Towns, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who has made 17 starts this season, contributed 28 minutes off the bench. Clearly, the Timberwolves’ offense and depth will face a severe test without Towns in the lineup.
