Minnesota Timberwolves fans have been begging Karl-Anthony Towns to stop complaining to the referees for years. Please run back on defense and stop falling down. But Towns never seemed to listen throughout his career. But things have changed this year. On Sunday night against the Dallas Mavericks, Towns demonstrated that he is shifting his response to adversity. That should give fans hope that he is ready to take the next step by allowing his emotional maturity to match his talents on the court.
In Sunday’s 115-110 loss, Towns’ stat line reflected much of what fans have grown to expect from him. Towns cobbled together 24 points with seven rebounds, one assist, and two blocks in just 27 minutes. He was efficient, shooting 50% from the floor and 3 of 9 from three. However, Towns only played 27 minutes because the officials called him for a foul (11:42, 3rd quarter). He had an early fourth foul that handcuffed him to the bench for almost the entire third quarter.
Towns has averaged 3.4 fouls per game in his career. Towns ranks fifth in the league this season with 3.41. His foul trouble on Sunday night didn’t seem to impact Minnesota’s offense directly, but it also didn’t help them win the game. However, Towns’ response to the adversity may have kept the Timberwolves within striking distance until the end. Wolves fans are accustomed to seeing Towns react poorly to foul trouble.
Below might be the lowlight of Towns’ reaction saga. In a 2021 game against the Phoenix Suns, he eggs on the home crowd during a “refs, you suck” chant after the officials give him a technical foul.
But Towns has shown a lot of growth since that moment. He still will put his hands up in frustration, but now he’s more likely to run back on defense to get set. In the clip below, the refs whistle Towns for a borderline call. However, the cameras didn’t catch Towns asking the ref what he did, nodding, and then marching back on defense.
While Towns continued to pick up fouls, he persevered through it. He remained dominant on offense even though the Mavericks had Luka Doncic matched up on him. By hunting mismatches and staying engaged in the game, Towns scored 15 points in the first half despite picking up three fouls. Towns scored 11 points in the four-plus minutes Luka was guarding him. In the clip below, Towns remains aggressive despite his foul trouble, another sign of growth.
Towns picked up his fourth foul 18 seconds into the third quarter. That relegated him to the bench for the rest of the quarter, and Dallas outscored the Wolves by five points in the third. Still, Towns’ response was more subdued than it had been in the past. Towns arguably shouldn’t have put himself in the position to pick up the foul by playing aggressively against Dwight Powell. But Towns clasped his hands and retreated to the bench, which is a better approach than getting a technical like he did against Phoenix in 2021.
The Wolves started to build momentum after Towns returned for the fourth quarter. Towns hit a three to make it 98-95 with 6:33 remaining, then drilled another three to give Minnesota a 101-100 lead with 5:25 to go. On the next possession, he hit a layup and the ensuing free throw to go up 104-100. But he picked up an unnecessary driving loose ball foul on the next play, following a troublesome trend for Towns In the clip below, Towns swipes down on Doncic to get a steal in the paint. Despite taking the fifth foul, Towns allows Rudy Gobert to talk to the referee on his behalf.
Towns’ fifth foul didn’t stop Minnesota’s surge, as Edwards scored on a step-back to put the Wolves up 106-100 at the 3:30 mark. But the Timberwolves couldn’t hold onto the lead. Dallas outscored them 15-2 in the final three-plus minutes, and Minnesota lost 115-108. Did Towns’ fifth foul cause the game to turn? Or was it just the Mavericks catching fire on their home court? It’s impossible to say. But, interestingly, Towns missed his final three shots of the game after his torrid start before the foul.
Regardless of the result of the game and Towns battling foul trouble, it’s encouraging that Towns has taken a positive step forward in his reactions to fouls. Despite going 0 for 3 after his fifth foul, he remained aggressive in the offense.
