Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns suffers calf strain injury

On Monday night, Karl-Anthony Towns sustained a noncontact leg injury during the third quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 142-127 loss to the Washington Wizards. His status is now listed as day-to-day.

Towns was spotted grabbing his right leg as he went down near midcourt. After the loss, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch revealed it was a right calf strain. The three-time All-Star is undergoing an MRI on his leg on Tuesday.

According to some NBA betting sites, the Timberwolves have the 17th-best odds to win the championship in 2023. A few sportsbooks show higher odds for the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans.

Karl Anthony Towns suffered a calf strain tonight. Typical return to play is based on severity

Grade I: 1-2 weeks
Grade II: 4-6 weeks
Grade III: 3-4 months (possible surgery)

— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) November 29, 2022

Per Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT, the recovery time for a calf strain depends on the severity of the injury. That should go without saying. A Grade I injury takes 1-2 weeks to heal.

Of course, a Grade II takes 4-6 weeks. And Grade III is 3-4 months. Grade III calf strains can require surgery. Since Towns’ injury was noncontact, he will likely require rest for a couple of weeks.

Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns suffers noncontact leg injury against Wizards

After 22 minutes, Towns ended his night with eight points, two rebounds, and four assists. He finished 2-of-6 (33.3%) shooting from the field and missed a shot from downtown.

Through 21 starts this season, the Wolves center is averaging 20.8 points, 8.2 boards, and 5.3 assists. Plus, he’s shooting 50.5% from the floor and 32.5% from outside the arc.

On Nov. 16, in Minnesota’s 126-108 win over the Orlando Magic, Towns scored a season-high 30 points off 66.7% shooting from the field in 37 minutes. Also, he finished with five rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, but there’s some early optimism that he may have avoided a substantial injury to his lower right leg, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 29, 2022

Moving forward, it’s unclear how Towns’ injury will affect the Timberwolves. With the 27-year-old, the team went on a five-game winning streak. However, Minnesota is now on a three-game skid.

With Towns, the Wolves rank 11th this season in scoring, averaging 114.6 points per game. But they have struggled defensively. Minnesota is allowing 116 points per game, which ranks 23rd overall.

Not to mention, the Timberwolves are averaging 51.9 rebounds per game, ranking 17th in the league. While the center is not the problem, he might not be the solution either. Minnesota has still underperformed in the paint with Towns on the court.