By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
What a tough blow for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Just when the uprising Western Conference squad is vying for an impressive No. 1 spot heading into the playoffs, their superstar center Karl Anthony-Towns will likely miss the rest of the NBA regular season after suffering a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.
The development was confirmed last March 7, 2024, after Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium announced the recent update which was also shared by the Minnesota medical team.
Minnesota stated that Towns’ Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test in his left knee validated the torn lateral meniscus injury and he is set to go under the knife early next week.
After his knee operation, Towns will then be re-evaluated in four weeks but his final timetable return is yet to be determined.
Towns was already ruled out by the medical team during Minnesota’s thrilling win over the Indiana Pacers on March 8, 2024.
Currently the first seed in the West, the Timberwolves are making one last push to boost their chances of claiming the top spot when the post-season kicks off.
The stretch big man is having one of his best NBA seasons and is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.7 blocks per game.
Before injuring his left knee, Towns put up an enormous 31-game streak of double-digit scoring for the Timberwolves and is a key piece to their winning season.
Without Towns, Minnesota will have to rely on Naz Reid, their main backup center who is also aiming for an NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
Minnesota will only have 19 more games left before the playoffs begin and is seeking to formalize the Western Conference no.1 spot after almost 10 years.
