Is Karl-Anthony Towns playing tonight against Denver Nuggets? Timberwolves star’s status for Game 1 explored (May 4)

Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to play Saturday night for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their second-round series. Towns’ name didn’t feature on the injury report and he is expected to be a big part of Minnesota’s offense as the team attempts to take down the defending champions.

The Timberwolves reached the second round after sweeping the Phoenix Suns. Denver beat the LA Lakers in five games. The two teams split the regular-season series 2-2 and are 5-5 all-time in the NBA Playoffs.

What happened to Karl-Anthony Towns?

Karl-Anthony Towns missed 18 straight games between March 7 and April 10 with a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee. Towns suffered the injury during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 4. The big man underwent surgery on March 12.

Towns made a return to the lineup for the final two games of the regular season. In his first game back against the Atlanta Hawks on April 12, KAT scored 11 points in 27:32 minutes. He had 10 points in the game against Phoenix.

Karl-Anthony Towns stats vs. Phoenix Suns in 2024 Playoffs

Towns featured in all four games against the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 19.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.5 blocks in 28.3 minutes per game. While his numbers weren’t off the roof, his efficiency was, as he shot 53.1% from the floor, including 52.9% from the 3-point line and 88.9% from the free-throw line. All his shooting numbers were career playoff highs.

One area Karl-Anthony Towns struggled in was protecting the rim. While this may have simply been a result of Rudy Gobert manning the post, Towns averages 1.3 blocks per game in his career. He didn’t have a single block against Phoenix. This is one area he could improve in and make his presence felt against the Nuggets.

How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Game 1?

Game 1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Western Conference second-round series is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, at Ball Arena. The game begins at 7 p.m. EDT and will be televised nationally on TNT. Fans can stream the game live on fuboTV and NBA League Pass.

The T’Wolves are 4.5 points underdogs, with +165 odds of losing the game. If Karl-Anthony Towns can exert his dominance alongside Anthony Edwards, Minnesota might get the upset win against Nikola Jokic and Co.