Karl-Anthony Towns to Return to Timberwolves in 'Coming Weeks' amid Calf Injury Rehab

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Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return "in the coming weeks" as he recovers from his right calf strain, the team announced Wednesday.

The center hasn't played since Nov. 28, but he has been participating in basketball activities as he continues his progress.

Minnesota entered Wednesday with a 35-34 record, good for seventh in the Western Conference and one game shy of the sixth seed to avoid the play-in tournament.

Though there hadn't been a timeline for Towns' return, head coach Chris Finch said last week the team was "hopeful" he would be ready before the end of the regular season.

"There's a sense of real urgency for him to, I think now, he can see the end in sight, and I think he's getting excited by that," Finch added.

It has still been a long road back for Towns, who was initially expected to return by mid-January after a four-to-six week absence, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 27-year-old averaged 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 21 games before the injury, which would all be his lowest totals since at least his rookie year.

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The three-time All-Star remains an impact player at his best, averaging 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in 2021-22 while helping the Timberwolves reach the playoffs.

With D'Angelo Russell no longer on the roster, Towns would give the team a much-needed secondary scorer alongside Anthony Edwards while strengthening the post next to Rudy Gobert.

A quicker return would also provide enough time for him to get acclimated to the rotation before the start of the playoffs, although time is running short.