Report: Karl-Anthony Towns to return before playoffs

Towns was cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 action on Tuesday.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts to his three-point basket against the LA Clippers during the first half at Target Center in Minneapolis on March 3, 2024. / Matt Krohn / USA TODAY Sports

Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return for one of Minnesota's remaining regular-season games, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Towns, who's been sidelined since March 7 after tearning the mensicus in his left knee, was cleared Tuesday for full-contact, 5-on-5 action. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Tuesday said Towns wasn't quite ready to return, but the hope was to have him back before the end of the regular season.

"Amazing job through this part of his rehab up to this point in time," Finch said. "He looks incredible. I know he's excited to go, but we're not quite there yet."

The Timberwolves have three regular-season games remaining; they play the Nuggets Wednesday night in Denver before closing the regular-season with a pair of home games against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

The Timberwolves and Nuggets are currently tied atop the Western Conference standings, but Minnesota holds the tiebreaker. If the Wolves beat the Nuggets Wednesday in Denver and win one of their two remaining regular-season games after that, they'll clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Towns was averaging 22.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game before he went down with the knee injury and was voted to the fourth All-Star Game of his career this season.