It's been something of a dream season for the Timberwolves, who sit tied atop the West through 79 games. That dream appeared to have hit a snag last month when star big Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a serious knee injury.
It was a massive blow to a Minnesota side that had benefited from a largely healthy core for much of the season. Up to Towns' injury, only one Timberwolves starter had missed more than five games.
Towns had been part of a frontcourt that gelled nicely after a rocky 2022-23 season. Rudy Gobert settled into Chris Finch's defensive scheme, re-emerging as a Defensive Player of the Year favorite. Towns, meanwhile, is shooting a career-high 42.3 percent from 3-point range.
The dynamic duo is precisely what team president Tim Connelly envisioned when he sent a haul to the Jazz for Gobert. Towns' injury appeared poised to threaten to potentially derail Minnesota's momentum.
It seems Towns could be back on the floor sooner rather than later. Here's the latest on Towns' injury and a timetable for his return.
MORE: Anthony Edwards explains reason for late arrival vs. Trail Blazers
What is Karl-Anthony Towns' injury?
Towns was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee on March 7, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported.
Up to that point, it had been a strong season for the ninth-year big man. He averaged 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 50.6/42.3/87.4 shooting splits. However, his play did tail off in the weeks prior to his official diagnosis. Towns scored under 20 points in each of his final four games before heading to the infirmary. It's possible his lack of production was correlated with his injury woes.
How long is Karl-Anthony Towns out?
Towns underwent surgery to repair the torn meniscus back in early March. He was expected to miss at least a month of the postseason, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported. Wojnarowski reported that Towns could return to the floor as soon as the early stages of the Western Conference playoffs.
It seems he's on the precipice of returning to the court. Star teammate Anthony Edwards indicated as such, telling NBA TV's Dennis Scott that Towns is nearing his return to the hardwood.
Charania confirmed such a timetable on Monday, reporting that there is optimism within Minnesota's brass that Towns will be back on the floor before the postseason.
On April 9, the Timberwolves announced that Towns has been cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 play, bringing him a step closer to a return to action. Towns is not planning to play on April 10 in Denver but is targeting one of Minnesota's final two games for his return, according to Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski then reported on Thursday, April 11, that Towns is expected to return Friday for Minnesota's game vs. Atlanta. It's unclear if he'll be on a minutes restriction, but it's likely he won't play his usual allotment of minutes.
Here are the final two games on Minnesota's regular-season schedule:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| April 12 | vs. Hawks | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| April 14 | vs. Suns | 3:30 p.m. | — |
Karl-Anthony Towns stats 2023-24
- 22.1 points per game
- 8.4 rebounds per game
- 3.0 assists per game
- 0.7 steals per game
- 0.7 blocks per game
- 2.8 turnovers per game
- 50.6 percent field goal shooting
- 42.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 87.4 percent free throw shooting
