Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to miss four to six weeks with a right calf strain, sources told ESPN.

After initial fears of a significant injury when he left Monday night's 142-127 loss to Washington in the third quarter, Towns underwent imaging on Tuesday in Minneapolis. The expectation exists for a full recovery and return sometime in January, sources said.

Towns suffered a noncontact injury turning to run down the floor, reaching back to grab at his calf and leaving uncertainty about whether he had suffered an Achilles injury.

Towns needed help to leave the court for the locker room, but an initial examination on Monday night suggested that Towns had avoided an Achilles tear.

Towns, 27, has averaged 21.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 20 games for the Timberwolves. In eight NBA seasons, he's averaged 23.1 points and 11.2 rebounds. The Timberwolves (10-11) have been trying make a Towns-Rudy Gobert partnership work on the team's front line, pairing two All-Star 7-footers together.