On the same night where Karl-Anthony Towns fell short when the New York Knicks needed him most, the two players they coughed up in the 2024 blockbuster to acquire him came up big for their new employers.
Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle served as arguably the two biggest catalysts for the Minnesota Timberwolves in Monday's comeback against the Denver Nuggets, combining for 12 of the club's 29 fourth-quarter points, including the final five points scored to pull away with a hard-fought 119-114 win to tie their quarterfinal matchup up at 1-1.
Following the contest, T-Wolves star Anthony Edwards (30 points) couldn't help but praise DiVincenzo specifically for his heroic efforts down the stretch to secure a Game 2 win on the road, hilariously revealing to reporters that he told the two-guard "he got gorilla nuts," only to further explain that "He’s willing to take any kinda shot at any moment of the game no matter how far it is."
Knicks fans experienced this cold-blooded play from Donte first-hand during his one-and-done season in the Big Apple, particularly in their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers when he hit the clutch late-game bucket to help lift New York to a miraculous Game 2 win.
Now, while both Randle and DiVincenzo find themselves playing clutch basketball for Minnesota, their replacements in Towns (missed both of his attempts in the fourth quarter) and Mikal Bridges (missed the would-be game-winner) are coming up empty.
Karl-Anthony Towns needs to play like a star moving forward for Knicks
Following his late-game disappearing act in New York's 107-106 loss to the Hawks in Game 2, Towns provided reporters with his reasoning for his two-shot-attempt fourth period, saying, "The opportunity just didn't come around to shoot it."
This should an unacceptable take for the Knicks to hear.
A six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selectee, and arguably the greatest shooting center the game has ever seen, KAT should be prioritized late in games on the offensive end, especially when the Knicks are in need of scoring. After all, they're not paying him the ninth-highest salary in the league to serve as a motionless big body.
Yet, for some reason, during the second half of the campaign and now early on in this year's postseason, the pivot becoming dormant late in games has become somewhat of a theme for the Knicks.
With career averages of 22.8 points on 52.2 percent shooting from the floor and 39.7 percent shooting from deep, Towns has both the makings and track record of an elite, inside-out scoring hub.
As they move forward through the playoffs, it's up to the 7-footer to demand these opportunities he claims "just didn't come" in Game 2.
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