New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns played in his first regular season game against the Minnesota Timberwolves since the late offseason trade on Thursday. A video tribute was played at the Target Center before the game, and Towns received a warm welcome from the Minnesota fans.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns dominated in his return to Minnesota
Nobody knew how this game was going to go. Emotions aside, this game was a key matchup for both teams, as they were both looking to make a statement as they are expected to be big contenders this season. Towns came back to Minnesota with one of the best games any player could have.
Towns finished with 32 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, two steals, shot 10-for-12 from the floor, and was a perfect 5-for-5 from three. He is just the second player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and five or more made three-pointers all in a single game, with the only other player being Demarcus Cousins (h/t Underdog NBA).
The performance from Towns led to a dominant road win for the Knicks, as they defeated the Timberwolves on their home floor 133-107, to which the Minnesota fans gave their team a smattering of boos as Towns took over the game in a different set of threads than they are used to seeing.
“Personally, this game wasn’t just another game,” Towns said, via ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “And if anyone told you otherwise, that’s a lie.”
Towns is having an MVP-level campaign with the Knicks
For many Knicks fans, it felt like just another day at the office for Towns. He is having an MVP-level campaign in his first season with New York, averaging 25 points, 14.2 rebounds (first in the NBA), and shooting 53.5% from the field and a career-high 46.1% from three.
At the start of the game on Thursday, it looked as though this was going to be a revenge game for a different All-Star. Timberwolves forward Julius Randle also faced his former team for the first time, and he started the game on a heater with 15 first quarter points which gave his team a one-point lead entering the second quarter.
After that, it was all Knicks from there, as they outscored the Timberwolves 41-18 in the second quarter led by Towns, who scored 19 of his points in that period. It quickly became the Towns show, and it was clear that he was playing with a vengeance in his return game.
The Knicks have now won 12 of their last 16 games and are starting to look like the contenders that many expected them to be and Towns’ dominance has been put on full display. New York will look to keep the winning going when they take on the 5-21 New Orleans Pelicans on the road on Saturday.