Timberwolves' Towns clears concussion protocol, ready to play against Kings

Minnesota Timberwolves star centre Karl-Anthony Towns has cleared the concussion protocol and will play in Monday night's game against the Sacramento Kings, the team announced. Towns suffered the concussion after being involved in a car accident last Thursday. He told reporters at Monday's shootaround that he was "lucky to be alive."

"The accident could have gone -- I'd say I had a 5 per cent chance of making it out alive," Towns told reporters. "I hit the 5 per cent mark. I'd say 4 per cent was to be seriously injured, and 1 per cent was to be minorly injured -- and I came out in the 1 per cent." The two-time All-Star was a passenger in a car being driven by Timberwolves assistant strength and conditioning coach Kurt Joseph when the accident occurred on a Minneapolis freeway. The two were en route to the airport to catch the team's flight for Friday's road game against the New York Knicks.

Towns said Joseph's vehicle had come to a complete stop because of an accident in front of them. Then the car was rocked when a semi truck slammed into it. Joseph was not injured. Towns estimated that the semi was travelling between 35 and 45 mph.

"It could have been much worse," Towns said. "In all honesty, I probably should not have made it out as I did." Towns missed two games due to the concussion. The first ended his streak of 303 consecutive games played.

Towns are averaging 23.1 points and 12.0 rebounds with 37 double-doubles.