Karl-Anthony Towns has massive game in OT win, but leaves early with knee injury

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a disappointing season, highlighted by trading away Jimmy Butler and firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. They never improved upon their first playoff appearance in 13 seasons and could be headed for another rebuild.

But one bright spot has to be Karl-Anthony Towns, who is 23 years old and consistently putting up stat lines such as the 40 points and 16 rebounds he collected in a 135-130 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

So it would be a shame if the apparent knee injury Towns suffered in the fourth quarter was serious. Towns left the game in the final seconds of regulation after this play:

The good news is that Towns is walking around, according to interim coach Ryan Saunders, but he will undergo more testing on Saturday night.

With the postseason unlikely, the Timberwolves don’t have to rush Towns back, no matter how serious the injury. But Saunders has pledged to put forth the most competitive lineup on the floor every night, according to the Star Tribune.

And Towns has been on a tear lately, averaging 31.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists over his last 10 games entering Saturday. He is probably the only “untouchable” player on the team, the franchise player who they can build around. He can shoot from outside and do this:

Did we mention he’s just 23? If the Timberwolves are to ever turn things around beyond a one-year cameo in the playoffs, Towns will need to play a central role. For the sake of NBA fans everywhere and especially the Timberwolves franchise, let’s keep this man healthy.

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