2 studs, 1 dud from Timberwolves’ win at 76ers
By Will Eudy
Dud: Karl-Anthony Towns
It was a rare down night for Karl-Anthony Towns. Playing against Joel Embiid, Towns struggled to score the ball, shooting 5-for-14 from the floor. This was only the fifth game this season that Towns has failed to score at least 20 points.
The biggest reason why Towns got the nod for dud here is that he went scoreless in the second half, logging all of his 12 points in the first half of play. In the first half, he got off good looks from three and was actively involved in pick-and-roll. In the second half, he didn’t have nearly as quick a trigger on his shot, and took a backseat offensively to Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell.
It didn’t help that the 76ers were steadily mounting a second half comeback as well. This was a game where the Timberwolves could have used a quick scoring punch or two from Towns down the stretch. As one of the most versatile big men in the NBA, he has to make his impact felt as often as possible.
We’ve still seen a limited amount of games where both Towns and Gobert have had big outings, but it’s all part of the process. However, the more Towns can limit these types of nights, the better.