"KAT is actively s**ting the bed" - NBA analyst flames Karl-Anthony Towns for ruining Anthony Edwards' 'special moment'
As Anthony Edwards tormented the Nuggets in the 2024 NBA Playoffs Game 4 with a 44-point night, the rest of the Timberwolves, especially Karl-Anthony Towns, underperformed. Minnesota surrendered a 2-0 lead this series, losing 115-107 in Sunday's contest.
Towns produced a 13-point game on 5-of-18 shooting, allowing Aaron Gordon to go off for most of his 27 points on the night, which drew plenty of flak from the NBA world. Analyst Jason Timpf didn't hold back either, calling out Towns on X:
"Ant is having one of those special moments for a young superstar. Meanwhile KAT is like actively sh**ing the bed on both ends of the floor."
Gordon isn't a better offensive player than Towns, but he was the difference-maker in this contest. The Timberwolves didn't provide Edwards enough help, with no supporting cast and Towns scoring above 20 points. The Nuggets, meanwhile, got a 19-point outing from Jamal Murray and 27 points from their bench, 14 more than the T'Wolves' second unit.
Anthony Edwards and Timberwolves won't survive Nuggets comeback with Karl-Anthony Towns misfiring
Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves were dominant in Games 1 and 2. While they deserved credit for a phenomenal job on the Denver Nuggets, part of their success was because Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray didn't bring their 'A' game to start the series.
The other reason was Karl-Anthony Towns elevating his play on both ends. He anchored the team's defense without Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, guiding the Timberwolves to a 106-80 win in Game 2. However, a 14-point effort in Game 3 and a 13-point outing in Game 4 contributed to the Timberwolves' failures.
The Timberwolves need a one-two-punch offensive explosion. While they are getting the desired performance from Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns hasn't lived up to his billing in Minnesota's home games in the series. That's even more crucial with the Nuggets gaining momentum ahead of Game 5 at home, with the rotation players firing on all cylinders.
They have figured a way around the T'Wolves' pesky defense while limiting Anthony Edwards and Co.'s streaky offense. Towns is the only legitimate secondary option for the Timberwolves as a starter, who could command almost the same defensive attention that Edwards gets. An efficient performance could have taken the T'Wolves a long way, especially after "Ant-Man's" 40-piece.
Karl-Anthony Towns must also pick up the slack defensively. He had several lapses on that end for most of the contest, which was seen during Gordon's 11-of-12 shooting night and several Jamal Murray drives to the cup with Towns guarding him on the switch.