Thursday night was special for Karl-Anthony Towns, not only because it was his first game back in Minnesota since the New York Knicks trade. He had a quiet start to the first quarter, while Julius Randle had a hot hand for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota fans wish it had stayed that way. Towns was the best player on the floor, finishing with 32 points (5-of-5 from three), 20 rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 38 minutes. Ironically, in the first half, he accomplished something that was last done by Randle in 2020.
Towns couldn't have dreamed of a better return to Minneapolis. New York cruised to a 133-107 win over a Minnesota team without one player, Joe Ingles. The Knicks were technically without two starters, as Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and Josh Hart (personal reasons) were sidelined. That didn't matter. New York was the better team by a mile.
Karl-Anthony Towns puts up 32 points, 20 rebounds against Timberwolves
Many Timberwolves fans despised the trade as soon as it happened. Towns' hot start with the Knicks, especially his performance on Thursday, has added salt to the wound. However, some Minnesota fans wanted the team to trade KAT but have since changed their tune. What a surprise.
The trade came at an interesting time for the Timberwolves, a few months after their run to the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota wanted to avoid the second tax apron and thought it was best to move on from KAT. The Knicks eyed Towns for years and got him for the low price of Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a first-round pick via the Pistons. New York signed and traded a few players to Charlotte to complete the deal.
It's looking more and more like the Knicks fleeced the Timberwolves. Minnesota fans who wanted him gone have learned to be careful what they wish for. The Timberwolves are one of four teams in the West with a 14-12 record, and they'd be in the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today. Randle and DiVincenzo haven't come close to being an upgrade over KAT.
Towns is better suited to play the five. He looks like he was destined to play for the Knicks, which is fitting, considering he's from New Jersey and grew up a fan. Timberwolves fans have no choice but to watch from afar as KAT has a historic season with his new squad. You can bet that if Minnesota could go back in time and undo the trade, the front office would.