Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies: Karl-Anthony Towns throws down outrageous dunk on Jaren Jackson Jr.

Karl-Anthony Towns had one of the most disappointing performances of his career earlier this week when he finished with just 11 points and five rebounds, and fouled out in 24 minutes in the Minnesota TimberwolvesTimberwolves win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in tournament. 

His teammates stepped up that night to secure the Timberwolves a spot in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, which gave Towns a chance to redeem himself. During Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday afternoon, Towns seized that opportunity.

He scored more points in the first quarter of that game (12) than he did all night against the Clippers, and helped the Wolves jump out to an early double-digit lead. It wasn’t until the third quarter, however, that he really stole the show. 

In the middle of the frame, Towns set a screen at the top of the key, and the Grizzlies switched, which left Ja Morant trying to guard the big man. Knowing he wasn’t going to win a one-on-one battle in that situation, Morant tried to sneak in for a steal as Towns caught the ball. He didn’t get it, which left a wide-open paint for Towns to attack. 

The result was an outrageous dunk that was one of the best plays of Towns’ career, and the early leader for the best moment of the postseason. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. tried in vain to come over and help, but even the Defensive Player of the Year candidate had no chance once Towns gathered that much momentum towards the rim. Jackson arrived too late to impact the play, but just in time to turn it into a poster — the perfect outcome from an entertainment perspective. 

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of that moment was not that Towns managed to throw the dunk down, but that he attempted it in the first place. The Timberwolves need him to play with that kind of aggressive mindset if they want to pull off an upset against the Grizzlies.