Minneapolis/St. Paul – The NBA today named Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns as the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Mar. 14 through Sunday, Mar. 20. This is the third time this season and seventh time in his career that Towns has won the weekly award (April 11, 2016, Nov. 20, 2017, Mar. 13, 2017, Oct. 28, 2019, Dec. 20, 2021 and Mar. 7, 2022). Towns trails Kevin Garnett (15 times) for the most Player of the Week honors in Timberwolves history.
Towns finished the week averaging 38.3 points per game on 59.6% shooting, including 60.0% from three-point range and 92.5% from the free throw line. He additionally averaged 12.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He is the only player in the NBA this season to average 20+ ppg while shooting 50% or better from the field and 40% or better from three. Following the 3-0 week by the Timberwolves, he ranks 13th in the NBA in scoring (24.9 ppg) and tied for 15th in rebounds (9.9 rpg).
The 7-0 center has helped the Timberwolves to a 42-30 record this season, including a 24-12 record at Target Center after Saturday night's 138-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Minnesota has won 10 of its last 11 games, including having an 11-2 record since the All-Star break, the best stretch in the NBA.
In the 149-139 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Mar. 14, Towns began the week erupting for a career-high and franchise record 60 points on a career-high 19-of-31 shooting, including 7-of-11 from three-point range and 15-of-16 from the free throw line. Towns added a season-high-tying 17 rebounds, becoming the first player in NBA history to reach each of those numbers in a game. Towns became the first center with a 60-point game since Shaquille O'Neal (Mar. 6, 2000), a feat achieved by Wilt Chamberlain in a regular season game 32 times in his NBA career. The only other centers to accomplish that feat are George Mikan, David Robinson and O'Neal (once each). Towns scored a franchise-record 32 of his 60 points in the third quarter, marking the fifth-most points scored in a single quarter in NBA history. Per Elias Sports Bureau, over the last 50 years, only three other players have posted a 60+ point/15+ rebound game, joining Karl Malone (1990), Michael Jordan (1990) and Shaquille O’Neal (2000).
Towns followed that historic performance with a 30-point output against the Los Angeles Lakers on Mar. 16, leading the Wolves to a 124-104 victory at Target Center. He scored 30 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 13-of-13 from the free throw line, good for his 15th 30+ point game of the season and extended his franchise record 93rd of his career. Towns’ 90 points over two games marked the most points over a two-game span in Timberwolves history.
Towns finished his historic week on Mar. 19 against the Milwaukee Bucks in front of a sold-out Target Center and led the Wolves to their fourth straight win, 138-119. He finished with 25 points on 6-of-12 shooting and a game-high 11 rebounds, marking his 27th 20+ point/10+ rebound game of the season (233rd career). With his 25 points, Towns has totaled 115 points over the last three games, surpassing his own Timberwolves record for points over a three-game span (113, Feb. 25-28, 2019).
Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics was this week’s Player of the Week from the Eastern Conference.