Karl-Anthony Towns Dedicates T-Wolves' Win to Mom: 'Happy I Got This for Her'

Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns helped lead his team to a season-opening victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday and received the game ball in honor of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns.

"I'm just happy I got this for her," he said.

Jacqueline died April 13 due to complications from COVID-19, and the Timberwolves' statement revealed she was "battling the virus for more than a month" before she died.

"That Karl died on April 13," he told reporters Wednesday. "He ain't coming back. You're talking to the physical me ... That man you're talking about from April 13 or before, I don't know him. He ain't there."

Towns told reporters earlier this month that he lost six additional family members because of COVID-19 outside of his mother.

In November, he opened up about the experience of losing his mother in an emotional video titled "The Toughest Year of My Life," saying, "I could never replace her. She was everything to all of us. But the least thing I could do is pick up some of her pieces, try to rebuild the puzzle."

Towns explained one of the most difficult things he ever had to go through was calling family members and telling them of his decision to take her off life support.

In December, he said it would be "hard to play" this season because of the joy playing in front of his family provided:

On the floor, Minnesota won 111-101 behind 22 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and one steal from Towns.