Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) cleared for full contact

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns was cleared for "full-contact, five-on-five basketball activities" on Tuesday.

The team said Towns, who had surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee March 12, is progressing toward a return to game action.

Towns, 28, has not played since March 4, when he logged just 21 minutes in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Since he was sidelined, the Timberwolves (54-24) climbed into a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets.

Minnesota has four games left in the regular season. The Wolves host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday before visiting the Nuggets for a crucial showdown Wednesday.

A four-time All-Star, Towns is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 60 games (all starts) this season and is shooting a career-high 42.3 percent from 3-point range. The 7-footer has averaged 22.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 571 games (all starts) since the Timberwolves drafted him No. 1 overall in 2015.