Towns joins Garnett as only members of exclusive Timberwolves club
Welcome to the 2017-18 edition of the Timberpups Tracker. This year, we're taking a different tact. With Minnesota having taken over a G League franchise in Iowa, and renaming it the Wolves, each Thursday we'll either track the progress of the players who might be of help to the Timberwolves in the future or a current member of the Minnesota roster. We'll also give updates on the other young players from the previous week.
This is the 4th edition of the 2017-18 Timberpups Tracker.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Center Karl-Anthony Towns
When the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Sacramento Kings 119-96 on Dec. 14, you probably noticed that Towns had a pretty good game.
Towns had yet another double-double, recording game-highs of 30 points and 14 rebounds. But he also contributed five assists and five blocks.
What you might not have realized is that Towns did something that only Kevin Garnett has accomplished in a Minnesota uniform.
Up until that game against the Kings, no other Timberwolves player ever had 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ blocks in a game.
Garnett did it twice. The first time was against Golden State on Feb. 16, 2003, when he had 37 points, 22 rebounds, six assists and five blocks in a 109-102 victory. Over four years later, on March 10, 2007, he did it again, racking up 32 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in Atlanta, although Minnesota lost that game 99-93.
This isn't the first time this season Towns has had a special game. Now we're left wondering what he can do for a second encore.
TRACKING TIMBERPUPS
-- 2017 top pick Justin Patton's minutes are still being limited at Iowa as he returns from a foot injury. In three games last week with the G League Wolves, Patton played just 16, 18 and 17 minutes, coming off the bench in each contest. He had eight points and eight rebounds against Northern Arizona on Dec. 15, six points, six rebounds and two blocks at Sioux Falls on Dec. 17 and eight points and four rebounds vs. Memphis on Dec. 19.
-- Guard Anthony Brown, who is on a two-way contract with Minnesota, poured in three straight 20+-point games for Iowa last week, with 20, 25 and 24.
-- Guard Marcus Georges-Hunt played more minutes (16:54) on Dec. 14 against Sacramento than he had in his previous nine appearances with Minnesota. He played in the Timberwolves' next three games as well, compiling over 18 minutes combined; it marked the first time this season Georges-Hunt had appeared in four straight games for Minnesota.