Karl-Anthony Towns’ took a hard fall with five minutes to play Saturday in Utah, landing on the same left wrist he broke earlier this year.
He exited the court holding the wrist, and it looked as though his evening was over. But with less than two minutes to play, he returned to the scorer’s table, and played a key role in finishing off Minnesota’s 116-111 victory over Utah to move to 2-0 on the season.
Sixteen seconds after re-entering the game, it was Towns’ contest of an offensive rebound in the game’s final minute that earned the Wolves another possession with 40 seconds to play. Three seconds later, Malik Beasley hit a driving layup to extend the Wolves’ lead to six — big enough margin to hold up down the stretch.
That Towns hit the glass with such ferocity on a key possession is impressive regardless of circumstance. That he did so given the state of his wrist is something else altogether.
Towns noted his wrist was “pretty sore” when he re-entered the game. He couldn’t even catch the ball.
“I was really there more just to be a distraction on the court,” Towns said. “I just was there in case my team needed me. I didn’t want to just quit the game and go get X-rays and stuff. I wanted to be available in case my team needed me, and just be out there cheering them on. I did what I had to do.”
His actions were a demonstration of the toughness this surprising group has exhibited through two games.
Such a start was not expected from this young, unacclimated roster. There were supposed to be bumps in the early road as a roster filled with guys who haven’t spent much time together continued to try to grow and gel.
Perhaps that process is taking place in front of our very eyes. It was apparent late in the fourth quarter Saturday, as Minnesota — which out-played Utah for the majority of the night and led by as many as 17 — faced multiple fourth-quarter charges from the veteran Jazz.
And the Wolves answered the call. Even when Towns was out, the Wolves stemmed the tide thanks to a series of clutch shots from D’Angelo Russell, who finished with a team-high 25 points to go with six assists.
“He’s one of the best in the league at what he does. D-Lo is a closer, man,” Towns said. “He just knows how to put the ball in the bucket, especially in crunch time. So having a person like that who you can trust and you can make it work with him and make plays and he can make plays, it just adds a lot of versatility to our attack, especially in the fourth quarter.”
The Wolves’ late-game execution in consecutive games to open the season suggests this team may be more well-seasoned than originally expected. That’s certainly true of Anthony Edwards and Jarrett Culver.
Edwards looks like a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, scoring 18 points Saturday on 8-for-12 shooting. His confidence and physical prowess continues to impress, as Edwards went at Rudy Gobert — the league’s top defensive center — and scored at the rim in the first half, something wings across the league struggle to do.
Culver’s rebound from a rocky rookie season is in full swing. He’s a strong defender who’s making shots. He tallied 14 points while going 3 for 3 from deep.
Where the Wolves are impressing most through two games is on the defensive end. Towns — considered a leak on that end of the floor for years — is providing a solid anchor around which everything is built. With Ricky Rubio, Josh Okogie and Culver, the Wolves are also armed with strong defensive wings.
There is certainly room to grow, but the makings of a good defensive team are more visible now than any time in the franchise’s recent history. Minnesota forced 18 turnovers while holding Utah to 38 percent shooting, including 29 percent from deep.
Utah had a chance to tie the game, down three points with 4.2 seconds to play. The Wolves didn’t even allow them to get the in-bounds pass into play. The ensuing five-second call sealed Minnesota’s victory. That whistle may have been the warning call to the rest of the league — look out for the Wolves.
The Timberwolves may have put the NBA — and the general viewing public — on notice Saturday night. They might actually be good, far sooner than anyone expected.
But that all hinges on the availability of the team’s star center. Remember, Towns broke his left wrist — the same one he injured Saturday — last season, and played a month on it before finally missing games.
“You can imagine the pain in that,” he said.
The severity of this injury is currently unknown. Towns had X-Rays taken Saturday, but didn’t want to “speak ahead” about his injury outlook. Minnesota plays the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
“We’ll get further testing and we’ll go from there. You’ll get that information,” Towns said. “I’m going to just stay positive. It’s only right I hurt my wrist in 2020. (Stuff) just goes sideways for me in 2020. Keep it positive.”.
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Timberwolves make a statement in Utah — they may actually be good - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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