Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to what was initially diagnosed as a left meniscus injury. As it turns out, however, the problem could be much more serious than previously anticipated.
According to reports, the four-time All-Star may have just suffered a season-ending torn meniscus.
Minnesota Timberwolves Star Karl-Anthony Towns Suffers Torn Meniscus
NBA guru Shams Charania dropped the bombshell on Thursday stating that Towns “has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee and is out indefinitely.” In a succeeding report, however, Shams also noted that Towns and the Wolves have been “gathering second opinions on the meniscus tear over the last 24 hours.”
Devastating injury – and timing – for what's been a monster season for Towns and the No. 1 seed Timberwolves (43-19). Towns has been gathering second opinions on the meniscus tear over the last 24 hours, sources said. https://t.co/JSTRxeZxPs
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2024
This is a very serious injury that could potentially put an end to Towns’ 2023-24 campaign. Depending on how things play out within the next couple of days, it’s very much possible that the two-time All-NBA big man will be forced to undergo surgery, which will almost certainly mean that he will miss the remainder of the season for Minnesota.
A Ray of Hope
This is an undeniably substantial blow for the Wolves, who have been relying heavily on Towns throughout what has been a revelation of a season. They are currently tied for the top seed in the West with a 43-19 record, but losing Towns will have a potentially significant impact on their campaign the rest of the way.
All hope is not lost, though. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski appears to now have refuted Charania’s report about Towns’ meniscus tear. Woj is calling it a “meniscus injury” and has hinted that Towns could be back much sooner than expected:
ESPN Sources: Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has suffered a left meniscus injury, but it remains unclear about how much, if any, time he’ll be required to miss. Towns and team are working to get full understanding of degree of injury and whether it demands immediate action.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 7, 2024
What you can say for sure is that right now, Timberwolves fans have no other choice but to hold their breath and pray for some good news.
UPDATE: Per Woj, Towns will undergo surgery to repair the meniscus and he is now expected to miss at least a month:
“Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns will undergo surgery to repair a torn left meniscus, and sources told ESPN on Thursday night that he is expected to be back by early in the Western Conference playoffs.
“Towns will be re-evaluated in four weeks, but the procedure is expected to give him the opportunity to return sometime in the early part of the postseason, sources said,” Woj reported.
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