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MINNEAPOLIS -- After the latest loss in a season that has been full of them for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns sat at his locker with his face buried in his hands.For at least the third time this season, the 21-year-old NBA sophomore put the entire blame on himself and his perceived inability to lead a young and promising roster out of the abyss.The more losses we keep accumulating, the more it feels like its my fault, Towns said after the massively disappointing Wolves fell to 5-12 with a 112-103 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Ive got to look myself in the mirror and Ive got to play better. Ive got to play a level where we cant lose and help my teammates out the best I can. I didnt do that tonight. I havent done it recently.That kind of accountability can be admirable on its face. It shows that Towns is invested in turning one of the leagues perennial losers into a playoff team for the first time in 13 years. But that pressure can also be crushing, and the team that many observers pegged for a breakout season after adding coach Tom Thibodeau last summer appears to be playing with a weight on its shoulders that has been too heavy to carry as the season nears the quarter pole.With Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn, the Timberwolves have one of the most athletic and exciting young rosters in the league. But the enthusiasm and ebullience that so often comes with youth is nowhere to be found on the faces of these Wolves during games. They play with a joylessness that belies their billing as the leagues Next Big Thing, as if 12 years of failure that this core has had little to do with is serving as cement around their shoes.They went into the locker room at halftime on Monday night down just five points. By the looks on their faces and the slumps in their shoulders, one would have thought the deficit was 20.Towns -- the reigning rookie of the year -- is right in one respect. He has struggled mightily on the defensive end after showing so much potential there as a rookie. He must play better and give more consistent effort in that area if the Wolves are going to pull themselves out of the doldrums they reside in at the moment.All these losses fall on my shoulders, Towns said. None of the coaching staff. None of my teammates. This is my fault. I dont think its anyones fault but myself. Its something Ive got to fix. Ive got to change for the better for us. I guess its back to the drawing board tomorrow.Clearly, the responsibility lies more than just with Towns. Their point guard play has been subpar, their bench almost nonexistent and Thibodeau has not yet parlayed his mastery of strategy and Xs and Os into a workable formula for this particular group.He seethed in his postgame remarks after the Jazz loss, calling the second and fourth quarters a disaster and vowing to get to the bottom of the issues that plague them.Its very concerning from the standpoint of you want to be making progress, Thibodeau said. Thats the important thing. Every day make progress, make progress. We didnt make progress today. Thats something that has to be corrected.Players collectively appear to be at a loss.The messages are getting through, but theres a difference between saying something and actually doing it, Wiggins said.Three starters are 21 and the only true veteran playing significant minutes is Rubio, who missed time earlier in the season with a sprained elbow and has not played in three straight fourth quarters. Brandon Rush and Cole Aldrich, the two veterans the Wolves signed in the summer to buttress the young core, are playing scant minutes. That has forced the youngsters to have to grow up even faster from a leadership perspective, which may be an even bigger challenge than rising up against Rudy Gobert at the rim.Its something I know I can carry, Towns said. I never said it was going to be easy. But its something I know I can deal with.It all adds up to a player, and a team, that is too tight. The competitive fire that drives so many of them right now threatens to burn down their own house and has led, Towns said, to many a sleepless night as they search for answers.Its been long, long nights, Towns said. Again, its going to be one of those nights, I guess. Youre just trying to find ways to win.---Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski Adidas NMD R2 Sverige . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Adidas NMD R1 Dame . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. http://www.nmdsverige.com/nmd-human-race-adidas-skor.html . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Adidas Continental 80 Sverige . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. NMD Herr Rea . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. PORTLAND, Ore. -- Certain members of the Golden State Warriors didnt take too kindly to the props LeBron James used at his annual Halloween party over the weekend.The part they took exception to was a skeleton James had stationed on a stage with 3-1 Lead inscribed on the bass drum head, a clear shot at the Warriors squandering a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 NBA Finals.In January, before the Warriors first visit to Quicken Loans Arena since winning the 2015 title there, Cavaliers players felt Curry was disrespectful in saying he hoped the visiting locker room?still smelled like champagne.I dont think they like that Steph [Curry] said that, Warriors guard Shaun Livingston told ESPN. ... Guys see it and everybody feels their own way about it, but it just fuels everybody for the next time we play them.Maybe this was James way of issuing some payback.Draymond Green just flashed a massive smile when ESPN asked him about James skeleton prop.More power to them, he said. I already got enough fuel. I dont need more. Enjoy.Klay Thompson, visibly irritated by the subject, sternly told ESPN, Man, I dont care about that.Curry simply said, Im just going to keep it quiet. He then shook his head and giggled.Kevin Durant even chimed in, although he wasnt a member of the Warriors last season. However, he knows what it feels like to be up 3-1 only to lose the next three games. He said he doesnt want to get involved in the bback-and-forth shots.dddddddddddd.Im a basketball player, bro. Im a basketball player, Durant told ESPN. If youve got any disputes or any feuds or anything with anybody that plays the game, lets just check it up. That really dont mean s--- to me, all the jokes.Durant said he can empathize with how both teams are feeling about this situation.I wasnt here last year, but I obviously know from being on the team, you dont want to see nothing like that [from Cavs], he said. Me personally, its just jokes because you still have to play. Just like Im sure there were so many jokes that went on about Cleveland and LeBron over the years, and you still have to play on the court. So none of that s--- matters until you duke it out on the court.I understand why anybody would [be angry], and I understand what LeBron is coming from. If you won a championship for your city and you did it in historic fashion, its something that youll never forget. So, no hard feelings. I understand where both sides are coming from, I guess.These two teams will meet for the first time this season on Christmas Day in Cleveland. There will be no love lost.All it is is more fuel for the fire, Livingston said. Thats it. Were not going to say, All, thats great, we like it. But it is what it is. Its part of the sport. ' ' '