NBA
Karl-Anthony Towns Excites Fans in Return to MIN as Knicks Beat Julius Randle, Wolves
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
Karl-Anthony Towns couldn’t have dreamed up a much better return to Minnesota than what he authored on Thursday night.
The star big man lit up the Timberwolves in his first visit to the Target Center since he was traded to the New York Knicks, putting up 32 points, 20 rebounds and six assists in a 133-107 win.
Minnesota Timberwolves @Timberwolves
the post with the most, the seven foot, Kentucky Wildcat, number 32….
welcome back, KAT 🫶 pic.twitter.com/9LhRbLmoo7
NBA @NBA
KAT has his first bucket back 🔥
Knicks/Timberwolves going back and forth to start!
📺 NYK-MIN on TNT pic.twitter.com/KnSXOz3L5f
NBA @NBA
KAT gets to the rack for the and-1 😤
He gives the Knicks a double-digit lead!
🍿 NYK-MIN live on TNT pic.twitter.com/D91h3SlNGI
NBA @NBA
KAT hits his 3rd triple of the night 🎯🎯🎯
He’s got a 1H double-double in his return!
📺 NYK-MIN on TNT pic.twitter.com/VfVdK7ykYg
KAT wasn’t chucking up prayers with a vendetta in mind, either—he was 10-of-12 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. This was peak efficiency.
Mikal Bridges added 29 points, six assists and six rebounds for the Knicks, while Julius Randle did his best to stick it to his former team, posting 24 points. Anthony Edwards had a tougher night, finishing with 17 points and seven assists.
But the night belonged to KAT, who had 19 points alone in a blistering second quarter that saw the Knicks outscore their hosts by a 41-18 margin, and fans and pundits alike enjoyed the show:
Frank Barrett @FrankBarrett119
What y’all are seeing is why impact goes beyond the box score. Julius Randle was great to start, but his impact is heavily predicated on whether his (or the guy he passes to) shots go in. Every possession KAT plays his mere presence gives his teammates a better chance of scoring.
Towns is adjusting nicely to life alongside Jalen Brunson, Bridges and OG Anunoby, as the Knicks are off to a 17-10 start, good for third in the Eastern Conference. The Wolves have struggled a bit to jell behind a core of Edwards, Randle and Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, and are now 14-12 on the season.
Despite being traded, however, Towns told reporters before the game that being back in Minnesota and in the Target Center gave him a “warm feeling” and that he has continued tracking the team’s results this season.
“I’m an avid Timberwolves fan, so I watch a lot of the games when I get a chance,” he said. “They’re still my brothers. They’re still my guys. Just because a trade happened, doesn’t mean I lost love for them. The brotherhood is always going to be there.”
He also said he misses the city of Minnesota.
“Of course,” he told reporters. “I was here nine years. That’s a long time I had called this place home.”
The Target Center is no longer home, of course, but Towns played like he owned the place on Thursday.
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