Karl-Anthony Towns Joins Elite Group Following Scoring Milestone

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns racked up 20 points, 17 rebounds and a steal during Tuesday's 92-89 loss to the Washington Wizards.

In the process, the big man surpassed 4,000 points in just his 185th career NBA game. He recently passed 2,000 career rebounds as well, making the 22-year-old just the fifth player in the last 40 years to reach both plateaus in the first 185 career games, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

The four players to previously accomplish the feat include Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan. O'Neal did so in the fewest games, requiring just 154 to meet both requirements. Robinson did so in 160 and both Olajuwon and Duncan required 181 contests.

Towns—in just his third year out of Kentucky—has proven a dominant force down low for the Timberwolves. Even as a rookie in 2015-16, the 7-footer averaged a double-double, putting up 18.3 points per game while bringing down an average of 10.5 rebounds.

During his sophomore campaign, Towns saw his numbers skyrocket across the board to the tune of 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Part of his jump likely relates to his increased minutes, which rose five per game from his rookie season.

Towns' numbers have slimmed in 2017-18, with his usage percentage dipping from 27.5 percent last season to 23.8 this campaign. That decrease in looks likely relates to an influx of talent during the offseason.

Minnesota made its first splash of the offseason by signing Jeff Teague to a three-year deal and went on to add Jamal Crawford and star guard Jimmy Butler. All three players rank in the top five of the team's usage percentage this season, per Basketball Reference, likely the reason behind his drop.

The current formula has resulted in a 12-9 record, with the T-Wolves sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings following Tuesday's loss. The club doesn't have much time to mull over the loss, taking to the court again Wednesday night to face the New Orleans Pelicans.