DENVER – The mile-high air can tend to be dry, but Karl-Anthony Towns' teammates made sure he had plenty of water after the Wolves' 124-107 victory at Ball Arena.
Karl-Anthony Towns passes 10,000 points for his career
Towns received the game ball after the win over Denver as his teammates drenched him in ice water
December 16, 2021 at 6:16AM
Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell got him in his postgame on-court interview and the Wolves doused him in the locker room postgame.
With his 32 points in the Wolves' win, Towns eclipsed 10,000 points for his career in his seventh season. The only other Wolves player to score 10,000 points is Kevin Garnett. Towns is the first player from the 2015 draft class to score 10,000.
Towns took some time after the game to reflect on his path to the NBA and thank his teammates for a moment he will long remember.
"When I was growing up, I just always thought of my ultimate goal was to make a D-I college …" Towns said. "Not only did I make it to a D-I college that seemed improbable and impossible, but I also found a way to make it to the NBA and find success in the NBA and find ways to score the basketball at this level. I'm humbled."
He said this moments after joking he looked like "Miami Vice" because he showed up for his press conference wearing only an open jacket because his jersey was all wet from the postgame celebration.
"I'm not used to being celebrated or having a celebration for me like that, ever," Towns said. "Usually when something big happens, a monumental moment or a milestone and it's just sit down in the chair, everyone says good game, hopefully we win and talk about the next game.
"There's really never been a celebration anywhere, 56 points or anything. I've never had that kind of moment. Seven years in to have that kind of moment, it meant a lot to me. It was really special. I'm just grateful that I get to give this opportunity and this moment to my family and my friends."
His teammates gave him the game ball afterward – and then Patrick Beverley tried to drench him in ice water.
"He's an unbelievably gifted offensive player," coach Chris FInch said. "He can score at every range on the floor. He has incredible footwork. One of the best shooters in the league, not just a big. Really good passer. He's just a joy to have."
Towns was asked to put his career in perspective, if he felt like NBA fans in general took his numbers for granted. He agreed, and threw in a retort for those who say he puts up empty numbers.
"I feel like I've been so consistent with my numbers and consistent in the way I've played, the dominance has just been taken for granted," Towns said. "It's fine with me because at the end of the day, I know I must've been doing my job and my career so far right where I became boring. … I've never played for the stats. I know people really want the narrative to be out there about me."
The Timberwolves turned on their defense and turned a deficit into a comfortable winning margin over the course of about five crucial minutes.
