The Minnesota Timberwolves received some tough news on Thursday morning, when it was announced that All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns would be out indefinitely due to a torn meniscus. It comes as a tough blow to a young team doing everything they can to hold on to the #1 seed in the Western Conference, and it is widely assumed that they will fall in the standings in the weeks leading up to the postseason.

Timberwolves Get Big Win In First Game After Towns Injury

Score tied 105-105, here’s the full compilation of what Anthony Edwards just did in the final ~minute to secure the victory for Minnesota pic.twitter.com/lRqjx97OFg

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 8, 2024

But based on the way that Anthony Edwards performed on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers, there may not be as large of a fall off as some have predicted.

The Timberwolves were in danger of falling out of the top spot in the Western Conference. They entered the day tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder and a single game better than the Denver Nuggets, and were listed as 1.5 point underdogs for their road game in Indiana.

Thankfully for Minnesota, Edwards had arguable his best game of the season against the Pacers. He tied his season-high by scoring 44 points, and drained a late three-pointer in the final minutes to put his team ahead for good. He capped off the performance by blocking a layup by Aaron Nesmith with just seconds to go, which was a high-flying act that will be featured on all highlight shows for the evening.

Schedule Stays Tough For Minnesota

ANTHONY EDWARDS TONIGHT:

44 POINTS

6 REBOUNDS

3 ASSISTS

2 STEALS

2 BLOCKS

51% FG pic.twitter.com/eaJq5ovSFg

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 8, 2024

The win helps the Timberwolves stay atop the West for the time being, pulling a half-game ahead of the Thunder heading into the weekend. Things will get tougher over the next couple of weeks, though, as they will be on the road from now until March 18th. When they return home, they’ll take on the Nuggets in the first of three matchups to close the season against the defending champions, which is a part of them having the 11th toughest remaining schedule of any team in the NBA.

The Wolves will have a quick turnaround, and will play against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. They’ll then take on both teams from Los Angeles early next week, followed by two games in a row against the Jazz in Utah.