Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is out indefinitely after tearing the meniscus in his left knee, league sources announced Thursday. The four-time All-Star has not yet been ruled out for the season.
Towns, 28, and the Timberwolves are “working to get full understanding of degree of injury and whether it demands immediate action,” wrote ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Towns is undergoing further evaluation to determine whether a surgical procedure is required, or if strength and conditioning rehab is the more appropriate solution to help him return to Minnesota’s lineup sooner.
According to multiple NBA betting sites, the Timberwolves hold 12th-ranked odds to win the championship. In fact, sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.
“Karl-Anthony Towns, I’m told, has a meniscus tear in his left knee. He’s going to be sidelined indefinitely…This is just devastating for the Timberwolves.”@ShamsCharania updates on Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury.
📺: https://t.co/oxMs3CAEGu pic.twitter.com/Tm32mgJgyY
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 7, 2024
The nine-year veteran was ruled out of Thursday’s road game against the Indiana Pacers, citing left knee soreness. It will be only his third game missed of the season. This away matchup is the first of a six-game trip. The Wolves are 20-11 away this season.
Towns also sat out Dec. 23 at Sacramento due to left knee soreness and Feb. 27 against San Antonio for personal reasons. Kyle Anderson replaced the 7-footer ahead of Minnesota’s 110-98 win over the Kings.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns (left meniscus tear) could return for NBA Playoffs
This is a big loss for Minnesota. With 20 games left of the regular season, the Timberwolves (43-19) currently share the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-19).
The Timberwolves are an NBA-best 30-10 against Western Conference opponents, 20-5 versus teams below .500, and 23-8 at Target Center, for the league’s fifth-best home record.
Minnesota is 8-3 since Feb. 8 and is coming off a 119-114 home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Towns played just 21 minutes in the win, notching 14 points and four rebounds.
ESPN Sources: Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has suffered a left meniscus injury, but it remains unclear about how much, if any, time he’ll be required to miss. Towns and team are working to get full understanding of degree of injury and whether it demands immediate action.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 7, 2024
Through 60 games (all starts) this season, Towns is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 32.8 minutes per game while shooting 50.6% from the floor, a career-best 42.3% from 3-point range, and a career-high-tying 87.4% at the foul line.
