This hurts just to watch.
Late in the Timberwolves’ loss to the Wizards, Karl-Anthony Towns drove baseline around Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, threw down the dunk, tried to hang/swing a little on the rim, lost his grip and took a nasty fall.
Karl-Anthony Towns crashes to the floor late, and was laying down on the bench after this crash. He went back to the locker room before the game was over.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) December 2, 2021
pic.twitter.com/ydezGo3ooJ
Minnesota was not messing around with its franchise player; he was quickly getting X-rays and treatment in the locker room.
In a very encouraging sign, Towns came out and spoke with the media, obviously taking questions about his back.
After sitting down gingerly at the press conference, Karl-Anthony Towns says that X-rays were negative on his tailbone.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) December 2, 2021
"I feel better than I thought I was gonna feel."
Karl-Anthony Towns: “I feel much better now. I feel better than I thought I was gonna feel. I was in extreme pain. … x Rays are negative, so that’s good.”
— Jace frederick (@JaceFrederick) December 2, 2021
It’s not yet known if Towns will miss any time. The Timberwolves play Friday in Brooklyn, then have the rest of the weekend off at home before facing the Hawks on Monday.
Towns is having an All-Star, maybe All-NBA season averaging 24 points and nine rebounds a game, shooting 44.2% from 3, and Minnesota is 8.4 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court this season. Towns has been at the heart of a rejuvenated Timberwolves team this season, a squad with a top-10 defense and a real shot at at least the play-in and maybe the playoffs in the West. That doesn’t happen if KAT misses serious time.
