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Karl-Anthony Towns got a much-awaited playoff experience this season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, facing some obstacles and also finding success coming in as an eighth-seeded team against the squad with the best overall record in the league, the Houston Rockets.
Following a series-deciding 122-104 loss in Game 5, the Kentucky product explained his experience from playing after the 82 games of the regular season.
“I’ve learned a lot in these playoffs,” said Towns, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “You understand a little bit of the difference between the regular season and postseason. We haven’t been there in 14 years, so it’s an experience that needed to be garnered if we wanted to take that next step.”
The Timberwolves held up well during the first half, even taking a four-point lead into the half, outscoring the Rockets in each of the first two quarters — but their high-volume, shot-hoisting rivals were too much to contain in the third quarter, where they grabbed an 11-point lead heading into the fourth.
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“They hit some shots, we didn’t,” said Towns, who had a strong game with 23 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. “Simple as that. Third quarter, they blitzed us again and we didn’t do a good job of responding.”
All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler was substituted at the 2:33 mark of the third quarter for Jamal Crawford, and he would never see the court again, reportedly bothered by his injured knee.
Towns made 9-of-14 shots from the field, punishing the Rockets down low in a way he had not been able to through the start of the series, though the learning experience proved too little, too late against a team with more firepower and playoff experience.
