Surprise! Karl-Anthony Towns benched last minute against Spurs

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who sit at the very top of the Western Conference standings late in the season, will be without Karl-Anthony Towns on Thursday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Towns, who was not on the team’s injury report all day Tuesday leading up to their matchup with the Spurs, was recently ruled out due to personal reasons. It is unknown at this time what type of personal matter Towns is dealing with.

Fresh out of the All-Star break, the Timberwolves have looked a little shaky on the offensive end of the court. After losing 112-107 to the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota was able to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 101-86 to move to 40-17 on the season. They are now tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the conference.

Although the San Antonio Spurs reside near the bottom of the West, they have been a tough team for opponents to face because of rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.

Wemby, the favorite for Rookie of the Year, has been on a tear as of late. Without Towns in the lineup, the Timberwolves will be left thin in terms of frontcourt options who can defend the lengthy Spurs big man.

In the wake of Towns’ absence, Kyle Anderson figures to see his role increase the most on Tuesday night. Naz Reid could possibly be elevated to the starting lineup if Rudy Gobert is ruled out for the second straight game. Gobert is currently dealing with a left ankle sprain.

The next chance for Towns to play will be on Wednesday night when the Memphis Grizzlies travel to Minnesota.