Knicks at Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are hanging by a thread in the Western Conference playoff race and now must hold their breath on franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns left Saturday's overtime win over Washington with a knee injury and his status is uncertain heading into a matchup with the visiting New York Knicks on Sunday.
"He's going to go under further testing tonight," Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders told reporters after Towns scored 40 points in the 135-130 victory. "He's just had initial evaluations but he was walking around so there's really no info at the moment." Derrick Rose scored 29 points to help Minnesota survive Saturday night and pull within six games of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with 16 contests to play. The Knicks have lost five in a row after Saturday's 102-94 setback at home against the Sacramento Kings. DeAndre Jordan had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds, but his teammates shot a combined 34.1 percent as New York dropped to 5-18 against the West.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FS North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (13-53): New York led by as many as 15 points early in Saturday's loss but the poor shooting allowed Sacramento to gain control and drop the Knicks to 6-26 at home. "We missed like six point-blank layups uncontested at the rim, and we just can't afford that to win games," coach David Fizdale told reporters. Jordan had 16 points and 19 rebounds in a 115-104 loss to Minnesota at home last month.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (31-35): Rose was 13-of-23 from the floor and recognized the team's need to get past Washington, especially with a daunting portion of the schedule on the horizon. "We play by urgency. Tonight we played with it. We played together," Rose told Fox Sports North postgame. "(Towns) went out so somebody had to step up and it's all about my teammates. They gave me the ball and I was able to get it done." After the Knicks leave town, Minnesota has a road trip against three of the top six teams in the West before hosting first-place Golden State.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks SF Kevin Knox is 15-for-57 from the field over his last six games.
2. Timberwolves SF Andrew Wiggins (quad contusion) sat out Saturday's game and is day-to-day.
3. Minnesota has won three straight meetings.