Kyrie Irving Shared Classy Message About Karl-Anthony Towns After T-Wolves' Win

May 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts against the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter of game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts against the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter of game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Timberwolves kept their season alive Tuesday night with a hard-fought 105-100 win over the Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. The series now shifts back to Minnesota for Thursday night's Game 5.

Karl-Anthony Towns has taken some heat during the series for some bad shooting nights but he came up big in Game 4, scoring 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and hit four of the five three-pointers he attempted.

Towns' bounce-back night didn't go unnoticed by Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving, who shared a classy message for Minnesota's big man after the game, saying: "Despite the unfair criticism that he's received, he's a great player. I respect him. I know my teammates respect him. .. That's what great players do. They figure it out."

Game 5 should be a fun one. The winner of this series will face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, which start on June 6.


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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.