Karl-Anthony Towns threw the first punch, but Julius Randle had the last laugh.
The two players traded for one another faced off when the Knicks traveled to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Towns, returning to Minneapolis for the second time since the deal that sent him to New York for Randle and Donte DiVincenzo two summers ago, erupted for 24 first-half points and finished with 40 points and 13 rebounds on 14-of-24 shooting from the field.
But Randle put the finishing touches on Minnesota’s 115-104 victory over the Knicks on Tuesday. The former Knicks All-Star finished with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field. Seventeen of Randle’s 25 points came in the fourth quarter, and the star who came to New York and resuscitated the Knicks in the summer of 2019 flexed his arms on Towns and the Knicks bench after several baskets late in the final period put the Knicks away for their ninth loss in 29 games on the season.
Randle is now averaging 21.7 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Knicks since the trade, and DiVincenzo finished with 11 points, eight assists and three made 3s on seven attempts against his old team.
For the Knicks, the loss was expected given who was on the injury report.
Knicks All-Star guard and team captain Jalen Brunson headlined the players in street clothes with a right ankle injury management, and OG Anunoby (left ankle soreness) and Guerschon Yabusele (illness) joined Miles McBride (left ankle sprain) and Landry Shamet (right shoulder sprain), who’ve missed extended time due to their injuries.
With several key contributors on the shelf, head coach Mike Brown started second-year guard Tyler Kolek at point guard and inserted Mitchell Robinson back into the first unit.
Kolek responded with the best game of his young career: 20 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals on 9-of-22 shooting from the field.
While Kolek’s night was refreshing, Towns’ was a necessity. He was coming off of a nightmare performance, logging just two points and six rebounds on one-of-six shooting from the field in the Knicks’ victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday. Towns averaged just 16.8 points per game over his last six games entering Tuesday in Minnesota.
So a trip down memory lane was exactly what the doctor ordered: Towns had 32 points, 20 rebounds and six assists on 10-of-12 shooting from the field in his first game back in Minnesota on Dec. 19, 2024
But the Knicks got next to nothing from their depleted bench: Jordan Clarkson scored 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field, and Ariel Hukporti and rookie Mohamed Diawara combined to score the Knicks’ other five bench points. The Wolves won the second unit margin despite scoring getting only 22 points from their reserves.
Plus Josh Hart had an emotionally-charged matchup and was ruled for a flagrant foul one after swiping at Wolves’ center Rudy Gobert’s leg, a moment quickly followed by Hart shoving the former four-time Defensive Player of the Year. Gobert made both free throws with under 90 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Wolves an 82-76 lead.
Wolves star Anthony Edwards scored 38 points on 15-of-27 shooting from the field and 4-of-10 shooting from three-point range to go with four steals. Mikal Bridges finished with 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field.
The Knicks now return home, where they are 14-2 on the season, to host the Cleveland Cavaliers in a Christmas Day matinee game at Madison Square Garden.
