Karl-Anthony Towns’s former teammate Anthony Edwards couldn’t help but be happy to some degree despite a blowout loss on Thursday.
Towns led a dominant victory for the New York Knicks, 133–107, against his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, in his first game back. Minnesota traded him to the Knicks in the offseason after he and Edwards led the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals in June.
“Get traded, come back and beat your team by 30—I mean, that’s everything you dream of,” Edwards told reporters afterward. “I’m mad we lost, but on the inside, I’m super happy for him. That’s my dog.”
Towns scored a game-high 32 points, and he made it a double-double with 20 points. He also posted six assists and two steals.
The Wolves sent Towns east in exchange for guard Donte DiVincenzo and power forward Julius Randle. On Thursday, Randle led the Wolves with 24 points and five rounds while DiVincenzo put up 15 points and six boards.
Randle stood by treating this game like any other despite facing his old team. He gave minimal answers to the media the day before the game, and Randle only elaborated when a reporter asked about his keeping each game routine.
“And I’m going to sleep. I’m going to wake up in the morning, come and shoot around, probably get a little treatment,” he continued. “And then I’m going to shoot. And then I’m going to go home and have some breakfast and take a nap, and then I’m going to go to the arena and play the game.”
It was Towns and company putting the Wolves’ chances to bed on Thursday as the Knicks ran away with the game in the second quarter, 41–18. While Towns had the monster game, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges also did plenty of damage with 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Nonetheless, Towns owned the Target Center on Thursday night from start to finish. The Wolves ran a video tribute for Towns before the game in celebration of his nine seasons with the franchise.
“Just a lot of memories, moments,” Towns said. “I’ve been honored to play with so many amazing guys and basketball players, and to be able to see them go through their own journeys and their lives and just to have a moment in their lives professionally, it’s an honor.
“I called Minnesota home, a place that welcomed me with open arms and gave me, my family, especially my mother, some of the best memories of my life.”
