It was an emotional sendoff that Karl-Anthony Towns gave the Minnesota Timberwolves fans after they bowed out of the first round of the NBA 2023 playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.
The forward blew flying kisses and waved to the Wolves crowd after their 112-109 Game 5 loss at the Ball Arena. They trailed the series 3-1 but couldn’t add another win to the tally to force a Game 6.
Timberwolves fans exiting the playoffs: pic.twitter.com/jRqDfbTS3N
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 26, 2023
Despite Towns’ 26 points and Anthony Edwards’ 29-point outings, Minnesota couldn’t fend off the Nuggets. For the hosts, Jamal Murray led from the front with 35 points, while Nikola Jokic added 28 to the tally.
The Wolves still had a chance to win in the final seconds when Edwards scooped up the ball for a tough three-pointer. It was still a close encounter after the ball bounced off the rim. On his part, Edwards, visibly upset, dashed to the locker room soon after the failed shot.
The Minnesota Timberwolves Were Patchy Throughout The Season
It wasn’t the greatest season for the Wolves, with injuries and patchy form having their say on their mixed campaign. Towns was out of commission for 52 games due to a calf injury, and the side also dealt with chemistry issues.
Despite adding Rudy Gobert to their ranks, the outfit labored their way into the postseason, but the head coach, Chris Finch, was all praise for his wards after their first-round exit.
“The defining characteristic of this team is that we’ve always played our best basketball when we were in desperation mode,” he said, according to NBC Sports. “It’s not how you want to live. Again, it’s all credit to us. We had many points during the season to let go of the rope or give up on the moment but we never ever did.”
“So, I love that about our guys. They kept competing. But you know a more mature team doesn’t find itself in those situations as much and that’s a part of our growth.”
All said, the Wolves are a young and competitive unit with the perfect pieces to go the distance. If they manage to stay healthy and cohesive next season, they will surely be one of the teams to watch out for.
