Karl-Anthony Towns shines in Minnesota return as Knicks roll

MINNEAPOLIS – Karl-Anthony Towns arrived at Target Center Thursday morning before the rest of his New York Knicks teammates. He said he wanted to take some time and think back on his first nine seasons in Minnesota.

Being back in the city where he was drafted gave Towns a “warm feeling,” but he said that still couldn’t disguise how strange it was for him to enter the arena as a guest player for the first time , which he once called home.

“For me personally, this game wasn’t just another game,” Towns said. “And if anyone tells you otherwise, that’s a lie.”

In his first game in Minnesota, Towns was outstanding. He scored 32 points, hit 10 of his 12 shots and added 20 rebounds to lead New York to a 133-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Towns and the Knicks outscored the Wolves 41-18 in the second quarter, giving New York a 22-point halftime lead it would never relinquish. Mikal Bridges scored 29 points and Jalen Brunson had 14 points with seven assists.

The focus of the evening, however, was Towns. Even after the defeat, his former Wolves teammate Anthony Edwards admitted he was happy for him.

“Get subbed, come back and beat your team by 30 – I mean, that’s everything you dream of,” Edwards said. “I’m angry that we lost, but inside I’m really happy for him. That’s my dog.”

The Wolves and Knicks pulled off a blockbuster trade the weekend before training camp began, sending Towns to New York in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The move was a shock to Towns, who had spent his career in Minnesota, and especially since the Wolves were fresh off a trip to the Western Conference finals.

To mark his return Thursday night, the Wolves played a video honoring Towns during the pregame introduction, highlighting his playing career, and then a second video midway through the first quarter highlighting Towns’ work in the community .

“Just a lot of memories, moments,” Towns said. “It’s an honor to play with so many great guys and basketball players and watch them go through their own journeys and lives and just have a moment in their lives as a professional, it’s an honor. I called Minnesota home, a place that welcomed me with open arms and gave me, my family, especially my mother, some of the best memories of my life.”

Towns, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Wolves in the 2015 NBA Draft, still has the same connection with his Wolves teammates. He said Edwards was like a brother and he still keeps in touch with his former teammates.

“I’m an avid Timberwolves fan, so I watch a lot of games when I get a chance,” Towns said before Thursday’s game. “They are still my brothers. They are still my boys. Just because a trade happened doesn’t mean I’ve lost love for them. The brotherhood will always be there.”

Towns spent the night before the game at his home in Minnesota. He said he thought several times before the clue about how strange it would be to come through the visitor tunnel for the first time.

Towns made some of his most impactful memories in a Wolves jersey — getting to play with Kevin Garnett during his rookie season, watching Derrick Rose drop 50 points in 2018, and Minnesota’s victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the 2024 playoffs The Wolves reached the conference finals for the second time in franchise history.

When Towns was asked if he missed Minnesota, he didn’t miss a beat.

“Of course,” he said emphatically. “I was here for nine years. That’s a long time I’ve called this place home.”

On the court, Towns has settled in well with his new squad, averaging 24.8 points and a league-leading 13.9 rebounds on a career-high 53% shooting while shooting 44% from 3 Shots would reach a career high from deep.

At 17-10, the Knicks have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Wolves had found their feet after a slow start, winning six of their last seven games before suffering disappointment on Thursday.

“They kicked our asses in every way,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said afterwards.

The two teams played a preseason game in New York a few weeks after the trade, but Towns said that wouldn’t make Thursday’s game any easier emotionally. He reiterated that he wanted to enjoy the moment and cherish the memories he built in Minnesota.

“I’ve been through a lot, especially in the T-Wolves jersey,” Towns said. “I try to appreciate those moments that never come or come often. So I just want to be in a place in life where I look at things from a glass half full perspective. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be back home and have so many great memories of being able to play here against guys I played with.