The New York Knicks preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves did not occur without any drama. Two weeks ago, the two teams were trade partners in a blockbuster trade that saw Karl-Anthony Towns join New York and Donte DiVincenzo head to Minnesota with Julius Randle as well.
Former Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo had heated moments in return to MSG
Sunday night marked DiVincenzo’s return to the Garden floor since the trade, and things got spicy in the opening quarter when he was seen jawing at the Knicks’ bench. It appeared that he said “This is what happens when they let you run the show,” which led many to believe that he was alluding to his role on the Timberwolves compared to the Knicks.
The drama did not stop there, as after the end of the game, he and Knicks’ assistant coach Rick Brunson exchanged words at center court. The two were eventually separated, but it has sparked storylines about DiVincenzo’s feelings towards the organization after trading him.
DiVincenzo denies any hard feelings with the Knicks
DiVincenzo said that there is no bad blood between him and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who he said he was speaking to during the first quarter. The guard said he was joking with the head coach about not being able to finish around the basket.
However, he did not provide much context into his altercation with Brunson, which could indicate some internal beef between the two.
“My relationship with Jalen – that’s my brother, my best friend,” DiVincenzo said via the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “That’s a separate relationship. I said I’ll talk about that privately (with Rick) and figure that out.”
The drama with DiVincenzo will be something to monitor going forward
DiVincenzo showed off what the Knicks will be missing this season on Sunday, as he scored 15 points on 6-11 shooting and 2-5 from beyond the arc in 27 minutes. The Knicks ultimately won the game, but they will still miss his marksman shooting that he gave them last season, where he set a franchise record for most threes made in a season with 283.
The next time the two teams meet is Dec. 19 in Minnesota. That game is suddenly now a must-watch game after the drama that unfolded Sunday night.