NEW YORK (AFP) – Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a possible concussion in a car crash as he was driving to the airport to catch a team flight.
Coach Ryan Saunders said Friday that Towns would miss the NBA team’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. It is the first time Towns has missed a game in his career.
Towns was involved in the smash on Thursday in the Minneapolis area and flew into New York later that day on a separate flight so he could join his teammates. Saunders said Towns was resting back at the team’s hotel.
The 7-foot (2.13m) Dominican is averaging 23.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocked shots a game this season for Minnesota.
”That’s most important, that he’s healthy and he’s doing OK,” teammate Andrew Wiggins said. ”Because a lot of things could have went wrong.”
Said guard Tyrus Jones, ”It just goes to show nothing’s promised. Tomorrow isn’t promised. Life and things can turn in a matter of seconds in the blink of an eye.”
At 27-30, the Timberwolves are four games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Towns represented the T-Wolves in Sunday’s All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina.
