StaTuesday: Wolves' Towns on pace for double-double milestone
The Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns shoots against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 19, 2016, at Target Center in Minneapolis on Dec. 19, 2016. The Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns shoots against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 19, 2016, at Target Center in Minneapolis on Dec. 19, 2016.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been old enough to buy his own beer for just over a month, but the Minnesota Timberwolves center is already on pace to become one of the league's best big men.
Towns racked up another double-double Monday, pouring in 28 points and adding 15 rebounds in a 115-108 win over the Phoenix Suns.
It was his eighth straight double-double, the longest active streak in the NBA.
MOST CONSECUTIVE DOUBLE-DOUBLES (ACTIVE STREAK)
| Player | Team | No. | Dates |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Timberwolves | 8 | 12/03/2016 - 12/19/2016 |
| Rudy Gobert | Jazz | 7 | 12/05/2016 - 12/18/2016 |
| James Harden | Rockets | 6 | 12/09/2016 - 12/17/2016 |
| Hassan Whiteside | Heat | 4 | 12/12/2016 - 12/18/2016 |
But the Wolves' win over the Suns helped push Towns further up an even more impressive list.
Towns has now registered at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in 10 games since entering the league last season.
The last player to make it to 10 by age 21?
Dwight Howard.
Before that?
Tim Duncan.
The No. 1 guy on the list?
Shaquille O'Neal.
GAMES W/ 25 POINTS, 15 REBOUNDS UP TO AGE 21
| Player | Years | No. |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 1993-94 | 31 |
| Tim Duncan | 1998 | 12 |
| Dwight Howard | 2006-08 | 12 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 2016- | 10 |
| Anthony Davis | 2014-15 | 9 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | 1985 | 7 |
| Blake Griffin | 2011 | 6 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 2012 | 5 |
And while Towns may not be able to overcome O'Neal's whopping 21-game lead, he's easily on pace to surpass Howard and Duncan this season, and could do significant damage to Shaq's record before Nov. 15, 2017, when he turns 22.