Karl-Anthony Towns shows a ‘personal game’ against Wolves

Karl-Anthony Towns made it to the Target Center early Thursday morning before anyone was in the arena. He sat by himself and reminisced. There were many emotions and memories in that building. There was a lot of time spent with people who meant a lot to Towns, like Flip Saunders, who drafted him, as well as a long list of friends and teammates over the years.

Those thoughts raced through his mind again when the Timberwolves gave him a video tribute during the New York Knicks’ introductions to the game. He was honored to play with so many great teammates. There was a feeling of gratitude.

“I’m blessed to have been able to call Minnesota home, this place that welcomed me with open arms and gave me, especially my family, my mom, some of the best memories of my life,” Towns said.

Towns also gave fans at Target Center plenty of good memories and they showed their appreciation. A sparse crowd cheered Towns when he came out for pregame warmups an hour before the game. When Towns was announced as the Knicks starter and the tribute played on the video board, a packed and sold-out crowd let out a roar of applause.

“I think the community and the fan base really appreciated what he did here, through some tough circumstances at times, you know, he always showed up,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said before the game.

After the introductions were over, it was game time and Towns definitely showed up.

The wolves held him at bay for a short time. Towns hit a 3-pointer early in the first quarter — to some applause from the Target Center crowd — for his only points in the opening frame. But he made sure to show up in the second quarter.

Towns hit a 3 early in the quarter that put the Knicks up six. A few possessions later, he got to the rim for a layup, drew a foul and hit the ensuing free throw for a double-digit lead. He later repeated that sequence amid a prolonged Wolves scoring drought as the Knicks extended their lead to a commanding 23-point advantage.

Towns made another free throw and two more 3s before the quarter was out.

Towns scored 19 points in the second quarter alone. The Knicks opened the frame on a 26-2 run and outscored the Wolves 41-18 overall in the quarter to take a 73-51 halftime lead. As Rudy Gobert put it, “not much” of what the Wolves did defensively worked against Towns. There was still not much work after the break.

Towns eventually finished with 32 points, 20 rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals in a 133-107 Knicks victory. Finch said before the game that having Towns at the five is like a “cheat code for offense.” That’s how it felt Thursday night, when he shot 10 for 12 from the field, including a perfect 5 for 5 from 3-point range. His efficiency powered the Knicks’ offense.

“Shout out to my teammates who just push me and put me in a position to succeed. I think everybody saw that, they understood that the game was a big fight for me personally. It was a personal fight, ​​” and for them to support me the way they did meant a lot,” Towns said.

It was a big game for Towns, who was back at Target Center for the first time since being traded to the Knicks in the offseason for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. It’s a game that featured friends like Anthony Edwards being “mad that we lost … but I’m super happy for (Towns), he’s my dog.” Byer similarly called Edwards his “brother”.

Towns is thriving in his first season in New York, averaging 25.0 points, a career-high 14.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. He’s shooting 53% from the field and 46% from 3. But excelling in his new landing spot doesn’t change the emotion of the night. That didn’t mean Towns wasn’t motivated to show exactly what he’s capable of on the court.

Towns accomplished the ultimate goal of the night – beating the Knicks. But as much as that was the focus, and as important as achieving that goal, it wasn’t the only thing on his mind for his return to his former home turf.

“That win is really important, something that we’re very grateful to get,” Towns said. “Personally, though, this game wasn’t just another game, and if anyone told you otherwise, they’re lying.”