Timberwolves Towns misses career-first game over involvement in car accident

Minnesota Timberwolves centre Karl-Anthony Towns missed the first game of his career on Friday night and is in the NBA's concussion protocol after being involved in a minor car accident on Thursday. Minnesota interim coach Ryan Saunders told the assembled media in his pregame session prior to Friday's road game against the New York Knicks that Towns was back at the team hotel getting rest. Towns missed the team's shootaround earlier Friday.

Saunders told reporters at the shootaround that Towns was involved in an accident in the Minneapolis area while driving to the airport on Thursday to catch the team's flight to New York. The accident led to Towns missing the flight and he later took a commercial flight to New York. Backup point guard Tyus Jones said he saw Towns prior to Friday's shootaround and that Towns was doing "all right."

Towns, a two-time All-Star, played in 303 consecutive regular-season games during his four-year career before sitting out on Friday. Towns are averaging 23.1 points and 12.0 rebounds this season and have recorded 37 double-doubles, including nine in his past 12 games.