The New York Knicks won their third consecutive preseason game Sunday in a heated back-and-forth thriller against the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 115-110, spoiling Donte DiVincenzo’s return to Madison Square Garden after the Karl-Anthony Towns trade sent him to Minnesota last week.
Knicks-Wolves provided high-octane energy in the preseason
Though it was only the preseason, the energy in the building had an intense playoff atmosphere. The stars showed up, and DiVincenzo was involved in some controversy regarding trash talk. According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, DiVincenzo and Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson had a heated exchange following the conclusion of the game.
DiVincenzo was spotted by the broadcast chirping towards the Knicks’ bench in the first quarter, where microphones picked up him saying “This is what happens when they let you run the show.” It is unclear who exactly those words were directed to, but it is clear that the trade set off some tensions.
Nevertheless, the Knicks were able to overcome a rough shooting night and not let the drama get to them, mounting a comeback from double digits to remain undefeated in the preseason.
The Knicks’ wings showed off their versatility against the Timberwolves
Though Jalen Brunson led the way in scoring with 24 points, it was Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby who raised the most eyebrows and made strong contributions on the scoring end Sunday. Anunoby started the game off strong by scoring 14 of his 19 points in the first quarter, and he also shot 3-for-8 from three-point range.
Anunoby also added six rebounds and two steals to his tally, showcasing his tremendous versatility on both ends of the floor. Before Sunday, Anunoby had scored just nine points in the first two preseason games combined, so it was encouraging to see him finally get involved offensively.
Bridges was fairly quiet in the first half, but caught fire in the third quarter and finished with 15 points on 6-11 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, and was tied for a team-high in plus-minus at +13. The wing is still acclimating himself to the Knicks’ system, but Sunday showed that he is quickly adjusting to a different role than the one he played with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks’ bench provided quality minutes once again
The Knicks also had three scorers in double figures off the bench, as Miles McBride and Cameron Payne each cashed in 12 points and Landry Shamet had 13 points of his own. Overall, the Knicks shot just 42% from the floor and 30% from the field, but they nailed 85% of their free throws (29-for-34), which ultimately proved to be a difference maker.
Notably, rookie guard Tyler Kolek did not see the floor Sunday after an impressive pair of preseason games. It will be interesting to see if he gets more action the rest of the preseason, but his absence could indicate that he will not make the rotation at least to begin the season.
The Knicks found themselves playing from behind early
Though the Knicks showed a resilient effort in mounting a comeback win, they struggled to overcome the Timberwolves until the end of the third quarter. The Minnesota defense was stifling New York, and they were outscored 36-29 in the second quarter, which included a 19-3 run by the Timberwolves to go up by as much as 11.
Anthony Edwards had everything working for the Timberwolves, as he scored 31 points in just 27 minutes and shot 8-for-13 from outside the arc. The Knicks seemingly had no answer for him all night, and the benefit of preseason rotations helped the Knicks claw their way back when Edwards was no longer on the floor.
The Knicks will have to clean up those early misfortunes going forward, as they will not want to constantly play from behind given their lack of bench depth. The valiant comeback was encouraging, but it was nonetheless far from their best effort on the night overall.
New York continues their preseason against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, the second meeting between the two in the ramp-up for the regular season. That game tips off at 7:30 P.M. EST and will be broadcast locally on MSG Network.