The year 2020 turned the world upside down, and Karl-Anthony Towns was no exception. Several of KAT’s family members were deeply affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including his parents. While his father managed to recover, his mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, was placed in a medically induced coma before she eventually passed away on April 13 at age 58.

On his mother’s 4th death anniversary, the Minnesota Timberwolves power forward took to Instagram to share a heartwarming note. He wrote, “4/13/2020- The day you got to see your father, but I had to say goodbye to my mother. Till words ain’t typed, and hugs are had. I’ll be here sharing your love momma. Love you ❤️” The NBA world joined Towns in honoring his mother, flooding the comments section with heartfelt messages.

Teammate Rudy Gobert expressed his support, commenting, “🙏🏽❤️💫” while D’Angelo Russel kept it simple with a red heart emoji. Joining them further was the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, who added, “💕🙏🏾.” One fan wrote, “She always knew that you were going to be great for that reason she feels super proud and where she is she looks at you with pride.” Another one added, “She’s still in your heart man keep your head up no matter what Kat we love you man keep pushing win this chip for her✊.” 

That year wasn’t easy for Towns, who also lost six other family members, including his grandmother, to the corona virus. Towns himself was diagnosed as COVID-19 positive, missing 13 games that season. After that, the persisting one has been another obstruction heavy season for Towns’ obliging him to miss a significant chunk of the season.

Karl Anthony-Towns’ status for regular season finale

The four-time NBA All-Star was out of action since March 4, when he injured his left knee against the Portland Trail Blazers and subsequently underwent surgery to correct the issue. After an 18-game unavailability, Towns made a triumphant return, helping his team get back to their winning ways with a 109-106 win against the Atlanta Hawks. The seven-footer tallied 11 points, five rebounds, and eight assists during his 27-plus minutes on the floor.

Entering Friday’s game, Minnesota was one game behind the Western Conference leaders, the Denver Nuggets, and was neck-to-neck with the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, following a victory for both the Thunder and the Wolves and a surprising loss for Denver against the Spurs, the three Western Conference heavyweights are now locked in a battle for the top seed.

The Western Conference finale on Sunday presents an opportunity for the T-Wolves to finish first. However, it would require a Herculean effort from the team that has two of its key players questionable before the final game against the Phoenix Suns. Karl-Anthony Towns’ status is once again up in the air due to the same meniscus injury, while Anthony Edwards has also made an appearance due to illness. Do you think a potentially undermanned T-Wolves team could hold off the Suns, who are eager to clinch the coveted sixth spot in the standings? Let us know in the comments.