It was a huge and emotional game for Karl Anthony Towns and the city of Minnesota. Tonight was the night that Karl circled as he knew he would have to return to Minnesota to play his former teammates after he was traded days before training camp. Karl-Anthony Towns played his whole career in Minnesota and was a huge fan favorite, as it was going to be different seeing him in the orange and blue in person. You know it’s a serious game when you have Spike Lee in attendance in Minnesota to cheer on his Knicks and show some love and support to the Towns family. During the starting lineups, the Minnesota Timberwolves gave KAT an amazing tribute video, and they let the crowd show their love and appreciation for the time that Towns spent in Minnesota on the team/in the community.

Tonight, the New York Knicks showed how good they are and how they’ve been able to gel on both ends of the floor. Karl-Anthony Towns playing at the center spot has changed the outlook on his career in many people’s eyes, but he was able to put on a show in Target Center tonight. Karl-Anthony Towns had to settle into the game as you can tell, he had some jitters, starting the game off with about 3 to 4 turnovers. While KAT was struggling with the turnovers, it was Julius Randle who was able to get his game going, as the Timberwolves made it a point/effort to get Randle involved early. Randle took about eight shots in that 1st quarter and led the way in scoring with 15 points. As soon as Randle went to the bench, the Knicks came out firing on all cylinders as they had a 25-4 run at one point, and it seemed as though Karl-Anthony Towns was feeling right back at home because he was making all the right plays.

The Timberwolves had to make some critical adjustments once Naz Reid got in foul trouble, but the KAT was loose already. It was Karl-Anthony Towns night, and he gave his fans exactly what they wanted to see as he was hitting the three-pointer and he was attacking the paint. With KAT playing the center position, he’s been able to be a monster on the boards, and tonight was no different as he finished the game with 32 points, 20 rebounds, and six assists with two steals. It was a Knicks masterclass that was led by KAT, and the team followed his lead as they had five scorers in double figures. Anthony Edwards was making the right plays tonight when the Knicks doubled and triple-teamed him, so he will need some help on the offensive end if they want to succeed as a team. Edwards finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and seven assists as the Wolves look to bounce back against the Warriors, who lost by 50 tonight to the Memphis Grizzlies.