Karl-Anthony Towns had just 5 points vs. Rockets, days after saying he needed to ‘be better’
The Timberwolves all-star is getting swallowed whole by Clint Capela.
After scoring just eight points in his playoff debut Sunday, Minnesota Timberwolves’ center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters he has “got to be better all-around if I’m going to help my teammates out as much as possible.” Three days later, he went out and scored a grand total of five points as the Houston Rockets cruised to a 20-point victory over the Wolves.
After averaging 21.3 points per game during an all-star regular-season performance, Towns now has 13 total points in an 0-2 performance against the Western Conference’s top seed. While his teammates were able to shoulder the load in Game 1 before falling valiantly when Andrew Wiggins’ game-tying three failed to find the bottom of the net, Minnesota got just 45 points from its starters Thursday in a game that was over midway through the third quarter.
Despite the rough start, Towns claims he isn’t letting the pressure get to him.
“You can’t be frustrated,” Towns told reporters after the game. “No time to be frustrated. Too much positive energy has to go the right way. There ain’t no time for negativity. There ain’t no time for frustration. There ain’t no time to hang your head down. We’ve got to move on and try to win the next game.”
The Timberwolves will need a major improvement from the former No. 1 pick to swing the momentum of their first-round series as it pivots to Minneapolis. Towns was masterful in his last appearance at the Target Center, scoring 26 points and adding 14 rebounds in a de facto playoff game against the Nuggets — the winner earned the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. However, a matchup against potential Defensive Player of the Year Clint Capela has turned the 7-footer from one of the league’s deadliest scorers into a sub-replacement level player.
But Towns wasn’t the only Timberwolf to struggle. Jimmy Butler scored just 11 points. Andrew Wiggins needed 14 shots to score 13. Nemanja Bjelica somehow led the team in scoring.
Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau has preached getting his star more touches, but conceded his team forced the ball to Towns in inopportune situations Wednesday night. He also pointed to Towns’ energy as the key to turning things around for a crucial game three.
“When you’re doing the things they’re doing, which is double-teaming him, he has to play with energy,” said Thibodeau. “He’s got to run the floor. He’s got to get it deep. He did that a couple of times, and it was good. You’ve got to beat them down the floor. You’ve got to be moving around, offensive rebound, kickout, repost. That’s an energy game, and that’s what we’ve got to do.
“He’s learning. Karl’s a very talented player. He’ll figure it out.”
Towns will have to learn quickly to give Timberwolves fans their first taste of postseason victory since 2004. His team is staring down the possibility of a sweep if he can’t find the extra gear that’s made him a star in Minnesota when these two teams meet again Saturday night.