Karl-Anthony Towns 'Perfect' in Timberwolves' Game One Victory

Karl-Anthony Towns ‘Perfect’ in Timberwolves’ Game One Victory

Following the franchise’s most successful regular season in nearly two decades, the Minnesota Timberwolves opened the 2024 NBA Playoffs with a dominant home victory over the star-studded Phoenix Suns on Saturday.

Star guard Anthony Edwards led the charge with an efficient 33 points for Minnesota, while combo-wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker pleasantly surprised with 18 of his own off the Timberwolves bench. Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert carried the load for the majority of the contest for Minnesota, each contributing 35-plus minutes.

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns returned for the last two games of the regular season in order to get acclimated for the playoffs after recovering from a torn meniscus he suffered in March. The Timberwolves, confident in the team’s potential with their All-NBA big man but weary of his inconsistent health, only played Towns for 26 minutes.

Towns finished Minnesota’s 25-point victory with a modest 19-point, 7-rebound,4-assist performance – but his impact was noticeable and felt by his Timberwolves teammates. Edwards, becoming a franchise centerpiece in his own right, reserved his praise for the team’s longest-tenured player.

“[Towns] played the game very clean, he played it the right way, he defended very well, and he did everything we needed him to do. He rebounded, sprinted the floor, he got into the corner, he didn’t cut when he didn’t need to, he did everything perfect tonight. He was the reason we won.” – Anthony Edwards

Towns made his contributions while only shooting nine times, tied for the second-lowest number in his playoff career, as the five-time All-Star gets back to speed. Minnesota’s impressive team performance proved that the team is more equipped to still succeed even without a dominant outing from Towns.

Timberwolves Look Legitimate in Game One Win

Minnesota’s patented defense held the Suns to only 95 points on 44% shooting

After coming up short in the first round the last two seasons, there’s no doubt that the Timberwolves are hungry for a deep playoff run. With the league’s best defense and an improved offensive scheme, Minnesota transformed from a borderline playoff team to nearly winning the Western Conference.

While questions have been asked about the fit of Towns and Gobert since the latter joined the team, the Timberwolves have largely shut down the naysayers of their twin towers experiment in the regular season. The postseason is a different product, however, and Gobert has been known to flounder when the lights are brightest. Minnesota’s cohesive and complete first playoff win, however, prefaces that the Timberwolves may have figured out the right scheme to keep Gobert effective down the stretch.

Minnesota Timberwolves Team Statistics, 2021-2024

Category

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24

Record

46-36

42-40

56-26

Playoff Result

Lost R1, 4-2

Lost R1, 4-1

R1, Lead 1-0

Win Shares Leader

Towns (10.3)

Gobert (7.8)

Gobert (11.6)

Penciled in as the underdog before the series start (per FanDuel), Minnesota responded with an effective performance on both sides of the ball and gave Phoenix’s big three problems all night – with only Kevin Durant turning in an above-average game. It’s unlikely Minnesota will win another game by this much in a series expected to be close, but the team proved tonight that they are capable of advancing.

Related

NBA Playoffs: Timberwolves-Suns Preview, Head-to-Head, Statistical Breakdown

After contrasting 82-game journeys, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns meet in the first round.