Karl-Anthony Towns got to celebrate after his 60-point outing Monday that came on the two-year anniversary of finding out his parents had COVID-19. (Minnesota Timberwolves Photo)
Seeing the highlights from Karl-Anthony Towns’ 60-point outing for Minnesota against the San Antonio Spurs in a 149-139 win Monday was special. The former University of Kentucky star and first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft had 32 points alone in the third quarter. Think about that. THIRTY TWO POINTS IN ONE QUARTER. He made 19 of 31 shots, including seven of 11 from 3-point range, and hit 15 of 16 free throws. He also had 17 rebounds.
He set a new single-game scoring record for the Timberwolves and it was also the most points any NBA player has scored in a game this year.
I’ve paid even more attention to Towns’ games since his donation to the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School wrestling team in Lexington so the wrestlers could have new uniforms and gear. One of his teammates, Jarred Vanderbilt, is also a former UK player and has resurrected his professional career this season.
However, I had no idea just how special the 60-point game was for Towns on Monday until he posted on social media Tuesday.
“Yesterday was two years to the date that my parents walked into the ER (emergency room) at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.Y. and were admitted with COVID-19 The same hospital that my mother gave me life, and tragically, the same hospital where I saw her life begin to slip away,” Towns posted on Twitter.
“Two years later, I walked into AT&T Center with the greatest guardian angel that I could ever ask for and dropped 60 against the winningest coach of all time.”
Towns’ mother, Jacqueline Cruz Towns, died in April of 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. Towns, who also had COVID, lost seven more family members to the virus.
Towns, who recently won the 3-point contest at the NBA All-Star Game, has the Timberwolves in position to make the playoffs. He’s grateful for all that has happened but clearly still thinks daily of his mother.
“I say this to say…no matter what life throws at you, you can come out of it stronger. Tough times don’t last, tough people do. Miss you Momma. This game….my life…is for you,” Towns posted on Twitter.
