Karl-Anthony Towns scores record 62, but Wolves stunned in loss to Hornets

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Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives against P.J. Washington #25 of the Charlotte Hornets in the second quarter at Target Center on January 22, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Karl-Anthony Towns set a new career-high and a Minnesota Timberwolves franchise record with 62 points Monday night, but it wasn’t enough in a 128-125 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Target Center.

Towns had 44 points in the first half, shooting 14-of-17 from the field and 8-of-9 from the perimeter. He finished with 62 on 21-of-35 shooting, 10-of-15 from the perimeter and 10-of-14 from the free-throw line. He’s the first player in NBA history to make 10 two-point field goals, 10 3-pointers and 10 free throws in the same game. 

But without the payoff of a victory, there wasn't any celebrating in the postgame locker room after his second career 60-point game. It came on the 18-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant scoring 81 points.

"It’s hard to look at the game like that. I was just doing my job, I really just wanted to win, you want to be able to have one of those nights on a win. Having a night like that on a loss doesn’t feel very good, historic, whatever you want to say. It doesn’t make me feel happy about the night we had," Towns said. "It was never for individual achievement or anything, I just wanted to help us win, get home, be with my father and play some cards. That’s really what I was looking forward to."

The Timberwolves led by as many as 18 in the third quarter, but got out-scored 36-18 in the fourth to fall to 30-13 on the season, and 17-4 Target Center. Towns had the ball for the last shot with the Wolves down 126-125, but it got knocked away as he went to the basket without a whistle. 

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch used the words "disgusting" and "immature" multiple times postgame talking about the team's effort in the loss, especially on defense.

"It was an absolute disgusting performance of defense and immature basketball, all the way through the game. It really didn't slip away, it had been there from the jump. This is what happens when you have that type of approach," Finch said. "Obviously we’re going to try to feed a hot hand, look for a hot hand, but at some point we’ve got to get back to making the right play, we’ve got to get back to doing the right things. There’s a lot of ways to be immature. We totally disrespected the game, ourselves and we got exactly what we deserved."

Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 18 points, and Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Edwards, battling illness, finished with nine points and 11 assists while shooting just 3-of-11 from the field. Edwards said the Timberwolves lacked focus from the opening tip.

"We weren't focused from the jump. KAT just had a great night, we weren't focused. He hit his first six, seven shots, everybody was just trying to see him get 100 points, I know I was," Edwards said. "All 14 of us wanted to see him get 80 or something."

Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller combined for 55 points to lead the Hornets, which shot 58 percent from the field and 39 percent from the perimeter. The Timberwolves are still the top team in the West, but only by a half-game with 39 regular season games left. Now, the Timberwolves start a four-game road trip at the Washington Wizards Wednesday night.

Monday night was easily Minnesota's worst loss of what's been a promising start to the season.

"It’s a long season, you’re going to have bad games. I was hoping that we were beyond it, but until you go through it all you really can’t tell. We’ve got a lot of basketball left to play and that’s what these guys have got to understand. We haven’t done a thing yet, we haven’t accomplished a thing yet and we’ve got to play with a better desire and better purpose and better readiness on every single night," Finch said.