Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell cleared to play, now focused on reconditioning

LOS ANGELES — Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns and guard D'Angelo Russell were still out for Monday's game in Los Angeles against the Clippers but they are no longer listed as out because they are still in COVID-19 protocols. Instead, the Wolves said they were out for "return to competition reconditioning."

Coach Chris Finch previously said they were targeting a return to the lineup Wednesday at home against Oklahoma City.

"We'll see," Finch said. "We'll get a better chance when we get back to Minnesota and put our eyes on them and see how they really are."

There were some moving parts to Towns and Russell being cleared from the protocols, including monitoring of their cycle levels, which help indicate how infectious a person might be. Ultimately, Finch said, their return will come when they're ready, now that they have cleared the protocols.

"It's up to how they feel," Finch said. "As you exit these protocols, based on your symptoms and how long you've been in it and what your CT levels are, it determines when you can return to play with what type of ramp-up. Then you have to still feel good, be in shape and ready to go out and play an NBA-level game."