'I'm playing': Wolves' Towns not worried about knee ahead of Game 6 vs. Nuggets

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns knows exactly what’s at stake in Thursday night’s Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

The Timberwolves are facing a 3-2 series deficit, and if they don’t come out on top Thursday night at Target Center in Minneapolis, they’ll be left watching the rest of the playoffs from their couches.

Towns tweaked his left knee — the same knee he had surgically repaired in March following a meniscus injury — during their Game 5 loss to the Nuggets. Towns briefly exited the game and was seen on the sidelines riding an exercise bike in an attempt to stay loose. While Towns played the remainder of the game, and played well, it appeared the knee was bothering him at times.

What does that mean for Game 6?

“I’m playing, so it don’t matter,” Towns said during a Thursday morning media availability.

Will he have to make any adjustments to how he plays?

“I’m playing tonight, that’s all that matters,” Towns said. “That’s all that matters. I’ll take care of it later.”

Banged up or not, the Timberwolves will certainly need Towns in the lineup with their backs against the wall Thursday night. Towns will be one of the main players called upon to guard Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP coming of an incredible Game 5 performance in which he tallied 40 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds while not turning the ball over even once.

The Wolves will need to slow down Jokic if they have any hopes of keeping the series alive.

There's a lot at stake Thursday night, and Towns isn't the only banged up player on the Timberwolves roster. Starting point guard Mike Conley is listed as questionable for Game 6 due to a right soleus strain. Conley missed Game 5 due to the injury, but he was at practice Thursday morning and appears to be in line to return for Game 6 with the season on the line.

It's the playoffs. Every team is banged up this time of year. The Timberwolves are no exception, and neither are the Nuggets, who have seen Jamal Murray battle through a calf injury during the series.

Banged up or not, the Timberwolves will need to take care of buisness Thursday night if they hope to keep their playoff run alive. Towns said the Wolves need to get back to playing their brand of basketball. They're in no position to hold back. They need to lay everything out there in Game 6.

“Everything’s on the line, and we get to play at home,” Towns said. “I think it’s a great situation for us, a situation that we’ve shown when we started this kinda downturn, it started at home, so a good time for us to protect home court and turn the tables.”