The New York Knicks had a statement victory in Karl-Anthony Towns’ return to Minnesota, as they dismantled the Timberwolves 133-107 on Thursday. The Knicks have now won 12 of their last 16 games and are now 17-10 on the season, while the Timberwolves snap a small two-game win streak and drop to 14-12.
The Knicks were shorthanded in this one, as Mitchell Robinson still is out with an ankle injury, and Josh Hart sat this game out for personal reasons. However, it did not matter as they dominated a very good Timberwolves team on their home floor.
Karl-Anthony Towns dominated in his return to Minnesota
This was the first regular season matchup between the two teams since the late offseason trade that sent Towns to New York and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota.
Towns showed the Timberwolves fans what they are missing out on, as he put on a masterclass in his old home with 32 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, and shot 5-for-5 from three. He took over the game with 22 first-half points along with 10 rebounds in the half.
The big man recorded his second consecutive 20/20 game and continues to put in an MVP-level campaign this season. He has taken the Knicks’ offense to a new level and has them in a great position to pose as a true finals contender in the Eastern Conference.
Towns is now just the second player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and make at least five threes all in a single game (h/t Underdog NBA).
The Knicks were phenomenal on both ends of the floor
This was arguably the Knicks’ best all-around game this season, as they were fluid on both sides of the ball. New York put on a clinic offensively, as they shot 51.5% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc.
Additionally, their playmaking was off the charts, as they recorded 39 assists with just 15 turnovers. Six Knicks players recorded at least four assists, with Miles McBride leading the way with eight assists.
On the defensive side, they were equally as dominant, as they recorded 10 steals and two blocks while crushing the rebound battle 57-37. New York also scored 16 points off of 13 Minnesota turnovers.
Mikal Bridges continued his strong December
Mikal Bridges has finally started to get comfortable in a Knick uniform, as he continued his strong month of December with another efficient performance.
He finished with 29 points, six rebounds, six assists, a steal, and shot 12-for-18 from the floor and 4-for-8 from three. Bridges also had the highest plus-minus on the Knicks at +35.
Bridges started the season off slow but has picked things up in recent weeks. He leads all players in the NBA in December in plus-minus at +129.
Overview
The Knicks have responded from their NBA Cup defeat with two massive road wins over the Magic and Timberwolves, which are two teams that figure to be in finals contention. New York will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when they face the 5-21 Pelicans on the road.