The T-Wolves sustained a major blow early in Game 5. Given the context of the game, the Minnesota side badly needed a win to have a morale boost after two back-to-back home losses. However, things didn’t start well for the side as star forward Karl-Anthony Towns was down on the court with agonizing pain after a scary fall.

During the late end of the first quarter, approximately 2:14 remaining, Towns tripped off Denver Nuggets‘ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and fell on his left knee first. Immediately after the fall, Towns was on the floor holding his knee, visibly in immense pain. After a brief moment, he tried to walk it off but ended up limping.

The star even clocked out for a brief moment and tested his knees with the spin bike near the locker room. Later, with roughly 1 and a half minutes left in the Q1, he got back to the bench with his knee strapped with a support band.

On March 12, Karl-Anthony Towns tore his left lateral meniscus in a game and the star also surgically repaired the knee. The team announced that the star would take at least 4 weeks to return to the court. Fortunately, it didn’t affect the team’s run as they went 11-5 in his absence. Moreover, the timeline of his return exactly matched the Wolves’ playoff run.

While it had been an Anthony Edwards show, Towns has taken up the second-fiddle role, averaging 18.9 points in the postseason with a high score of 28 points. While it did the trick for the Wolves tonight, he left the fans in worry for a brief period. Eventually, the star clocked back into the game. However, nothing seemed to be going in the Minnesota side’s favor. After two home games in a row, the Nuggets have dominated Anthony Edwards & Co. throughout the stretch.

Is Karl-Anthony Towns’ place questionable for the next season?

Before the inclusion of Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards‘ sudden surge, Kart-Anthony Towns seemed like the next big thing for the Wolves. However, it wasn’t the case for the two big names. In fact, heading to the next season, the Wolves will have a massive financial crunch. As Town will be eligible for a max contract extension worth $220 million, the team will have to find a way to cut down on the salary cap.

On the other hand, the Wolves may have their replacement for the big man in their bench players. It’s none other than Naz Reid. During Towns’ absence in the final stretch of the regular season, Reid rose to fame with his productive minutes on the court. Reid averaged around 11 points with Towns on the side, and in his absence, he averaged 16.5 points.

Moreover, Rudy Gobert’s inclusion has also reduced Towns’ impact on the side. So next season could be curtains for the 7-foot started from the Wolves’ franchise. Nevertheless, tonight, he finished the game as the team’s high scorer, dropping 23 points despite the niggle. Importantly, it didn’t make any difference to the result as the Nuggets took their third straight victory. Nikola Jokić recorded 40 points, 13 assists without a turnover to fetch a dominant 97-112 win.

Will the Wolves force Game 7 to stay alive in the tournament? Let us know in the comments below.