After mother's death, Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns having fun on the court again

The feeling, that’s what matters.

Karl-Anthony Towns can’t recall the date. He can’t remember the month. Early in the season. Late October, maybe November.

But the feeling, that he knows.

“There was this one morning I walked into the practice facility,” Towns explained. “I’m usually one of the first ones there before trainers and anyone gets there. I walked in and found myself smiling in the weight room, happy to be here, happy to be in the gym this early, happy to see everybody come to work and get to practice.

“That’s a different feeling than I’ve had in a long time.”

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That feeling is important, especially for Towns whose past two seasons have been marked by immeasurable loss. His mom, Jacqueline Cruz, and six other family members died from COVID-19 in 2020.

“I’ve seen a lot of coffins in the last seven months," Towns said before the start of the 2020-21 season.

His relationship with basketball – so often celebrated with his mom watching – was fractured.

Grief has no timeline.

We are shaped by our losses.

The hope is that light breaks through the darkness.

“This season brought me closer to basketball,” Towns said. “Me and basketball essentially had a disconnect in the relationship even though I was performing at a high level. It wasn’t the same, and this year, I’ve grown closer to basketball.”

That is apparent on the court where Towns averaged 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 blocks and one steal and shot 52.9% from the field, 41% on 3-pointers and 82.2% on free throws.

It might not be Towns’ best statistical season but couple it with everything he’s gone through in the past two years – including getting hit by a car and getting COVID – and Minnesota’s successful season, it might be his best overall season. He is headed for his second All-NBA selection.

Minnesota emerged this season as more than just a feisty young team centered around Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards.

“He enjoys his teammates and has great support from them,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He feels very much a part of this. We have a young and very close team and he feels very much a part of that fabric, and maybe in years past, he felt like an outsider on his own team, which is a tough place to be. He believes heavily in his teammates and coaching staff. Great players need hope. They need to have hope that what they’re surrounded by is good enough to help them win at the highest level.”

These Timberwolves have a different demeanor – a confidence that walks right up to the line of arrogance.

Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley knew the reputation the Timberwolves had before he arrived. He called prior Timberwolves teams “swagless.”

“This year is very different,” Beverley said. “We know exactly who we are. We’re not backing down from anybody – humbly, though, not arrogant. We’re comfortable in our skins. We’re not running from smoke or ducking action. We want to show the league this is a team that’s going to be talked about for the next couple of years for sure.”

Edwards, the second-year guard, added swag and talent. His confidence overflows, and his 30-point performance in a 109-104 play-in game victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday helped the Timberwolves reach the playoffs for just the second time since 2004. This was also the Timberwolves’ second-best season since 2004, and Towns’ play was a big part of that.

“This difference this year more than any other year is he’s driving winning and probably his efficiency is higher,” Finch said. “He’s having one of the most efficient offensive seasons he’s ever had and across the league with top players, I would imagine his efficiency is right up there. I also believe it’s just more than offensive. Defensively, he’s made a strong impact for us. He’s also rounding out his game. He does it all. He’s not a one- or two-dimensional player. He’s a five-tool player.”

The Timberwolves scored 116.9 points per 100 possessions with Towns, who scored NBA season-high 60 points against San Antonio, on the court this season. It is the highest offensive rating for Towns in his seven seasons. And that’s with an increased defensive focus on Towns from opponents – double-teams, triple-teams, denying him the ball.

That’s what the Clippers did in the play-in game, and Towns scored just 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting. But Edwards and Russell (29 points) came through.

“He’s done a great job of not fighting the game,” Finch said. “Whatever the defense is doing, he’s using it to create open shots for his teammates. When he touches the ball, it almost always leads to a good look for himself or his teammates just because of the gravity he has on the court. We’ve seen a lot of different looks with him. …

“He’s done a good job of adjusting to those things on the fly. He feels way more comfortable and doesn’t get as unsettled by it. He has a lot more poise and understands, ‘This is how I’m going to benefit the team tonight.’ ”

Of course, the Timberwolves need more offensive production from Towns in their first-round series against the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies that begins on Saturday.

Winning is important but never as important as having joy in life. The victory on Tuesday coincides with the anniversary of his mom’s death two years ago.

“Just shows you the kind of person he is, and how myself and wife – may she rest in peace – built that into him,” Karl Towns Sr. said. “Despite adversity, he can still be that guy. To me, that means more than anything. It’s not about his game. It’s about showing he’s matured as a man. ‘Dad, I’m OK.’ I just wanted to make sure he’s OK physically and mentally and that to me is more important than the game. He’s been able to fight, stay strong and just prosper. And I’m so happy.

“He had so many people in his corner helping him get through hard times. He knows that it’s going to OK despite losing your mom, there’s people out there – his dad – that want you to know she would want you to go on and be the person she knows you are. Having the right people around him — Jordyn Woods, his girlfriend — everybody giving him the guidance and strength to do it for her. Those are the little things that push him, everybody knowing he has the best guardian angel and family support anybody could ask for.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karl-Anthony Towns reconnecting with basketball after mother's death