Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns Out With Torn Meniscus

Towns has been getting further opinions and treatment options on the injury “over the past 24 hours,” Charania wrote. He is not with the Timberwolves to start their six-game trip.

This is obviously a big blow for the T-Wolves, who are tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for first place in the Western Conference at 43-19 (entering Thursday).

Towns, 28, is in his ninth season and has appeared in 60 games, averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists, shooting 51 percent from the field and a career-high 43 percent on 3-pointers. He is also trying his career-high of 87 percent on free throws.

“Towns’ knee injury could’ve been playing a role in his sluggish play of late,” Charania wrote. “Towns’ scoring average dipped to 16 points per game over Minnesota’s last four.”

Towns missed 51 games with a calf injury last season but has “taken great pride” in playing through injury most of the time, Charania noted. He played all 82 games in each of his first three NBA seasons.

As for this year, the Timberwolves clearly need him to have a chance to build off what has been  magical year in Minnesota.