Karl Anthony Towns Back, Minnesota Defeats Sacramento Kings, 112-105

Minnesota Timberwolves fans left the Target Center pretty happy earlier tonight. Their team defeated the Sacramento Kings 112-105, after one pretty interesting fight, and found a way to join the playoff race.

But that wasn’t the only reason for their good mood. Karl-Anthony Town came back on the court, after suffering minor injuries in a car accident a couple of days ago.

Most of them were extremely worried about the best player of the franchise, but he turned out to be just fine.

His 34 points, 21 boards, and 5 assists are the best proof for that. Even though he missed only two games, Towns was more than eager to get back on the floor as soon as possible, and he spoke about that before the game. After all, the Timberwolves big man didn’t miss a single game since he entered the league and had 302 consecutive starts.

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“I was helluva tired after the first few minutes, but it was good to get in the rhythm again,” said Town after the game.

It sure didn’t look like that on the court, as he demolished the Kings on both ends of the court, whether that is offensively or defensively, dropping 24 points in the first half, and providing a pair of strong dunks to ignite the fans and his teammates.

The 23-year old mentioned that his short pause forced him to realize that there are some things which are not to be taken for granted.

“You’re so used to just grinding your body to dust every single day, and you don’t get a chance to realize how much you appreciate being there,” KAT said.

Towns was so motivated to start pounding once again, and he looked like a beast tonight.

Him missing two straight contests wasn’t the only reason why he had such a competitive approach tonight. Kings are one of the teams who is trying to find a spot in the playoffs. By defeating them, the Timberwolves are also joining the battle for the offseason.

KAT said after the game, that his team needs to be more aggressive now, and that the Timberwolves need to take their game to the next level in order to enter top 8 in the West.

“We’ve got to set a different intensity, a different edge, a different animal. This is the time. We’ve got to make a push.”

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The game itself was very nervous with both teams combining for 42 turnovers. In the beginning, the Kings had the momentum, creating a 13-point lead near the end of the opening period.

That all changed in the second quarter when Towns took matters in his own hands and started schooling Kings’ defense. By the break, the home team was already 10 points up, 63-53.

Timberwolves made a 20-1 run while turning the tables during that period.

The advantage only grew higher in the third sequence, with hosts creating a 17-point gap. The last part of the event brought some drama.

Kings got back to 8, Wolves bounced back to 15 with seven minutes to go, but went without a single point in the next 3:43. The guests used that to get down to just four points.

That is when the defense stepped up and solved the contest. The Kings couldn’t score from the field in their final six attacks, providing just one point from the free throw line.

There is no time for celebration, as the Timberwolves head one a three-game tour through the East. First, they meet the Atlanta Hawks, then Indiana Pacers and finally the Washington Wizards.

At the moment, they have 29 wins and 31 losses. The eight-placed San Antonio is three games ahead, which means that KAT and the boys do have chances to enter the playoffs.

A lot of things will depend upon the upcoming three matches, but if Towns enters the game motivated like tonight, his team will have realistic chances of winning those contests.