Karl-Anthony Towns gets standing ovation in return to Target Center
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Karl-Anthony Towns returned to Target Center Thursday night for the first time since being traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the reception was all love.
Towns took the Target Center floor about an hour before tip-off for pregame warmups, and was greeted to ovation from the fans who came early. Towns’ father, Karl Towns, and long-time Knicks fan Spike Lee were sitting courtside for the game.
Towns spent several minutes taking pictures with fans, signing autographs and getting handshakes and hugs from former teammates on the Timberwolves’ bench, including Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. Towns couldn’t stop smiling as he got shots up.
Karl-Anthony Towns gets standing ovation in return to Target Center
The Minnesota Timberwolves welcomed back Karl-Anthony Towns with a tribute video and he got a standing ovation from fans Thursday night in his first trip back to Target Center after being traded to the New York Knicks just before training camp.
Pregame tribute
The Timberwolves gave Towns a welcome back with a tribute video before he was announced as the final Knicks' starter, and the Target Center crowd gave him a standing ovation. Towns didn't want to leave Minnesota and never asked to be traded, but the NBA is a business.
Why it matters: Towns was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015 and spent his first nine seasons with the Timberwolves. He helped lead Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in two decades last season. Just before the start of training camp, Tim Connelly dealt Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
It would’ve been tough to keep the trio of Towns, Gobert and Edwards together financially along with keeping other key pieces of the Timberwolves’ roster.
Chris Finch has jokes for Towns
He said what? Towns was known to get in early foul trouble during his tenure with the Timberwolves. Chris Finch was asked at his pregame media availability if the strategy Thursday was to do just that.
"Well, KAT has usually done a pretty good job of getting himself in foul trouble, and I told him that," Finch said.
Knicks crush Timberwolves 133-107 behind KAT
How it happened: The Knicks out-scored the Timberwolves 41-18 in the second quarter, led 73-51 at half and never looked back in dominating the Timberwolves, 133-107.
Towns had 32 points, 20 rebounds, six assists and two steals in his return to Minnesota. The Timberwolves fall to 14-12 on the season. Towns admitted after it meant more than a typical regular season game.
"We can’t give y’all all the tea. It hits just like any other game that we win. Personally though, this game wasn’t just another game, and if anyone told you anything otherwise, that’s a lie," Towns said.
‘I’m an avid Timberwolves fan now’
What we know: Towns spoke with reporters after Thursday morning’s shootaround, fully knowing what the emotions of the night would be. He slept in his Twin Cities home Wednesday night, and said it was weird having to fly into Minneapolis and walk into the visitors’ locker room.
He has no ill will towards the Timberwolves and knows the NBA has a business side.
"I keep in very close contact with them, yeah. I watch, I’m an avid Timberwolves fan now, so I be watching a lot of the games when I get a chance. They’re still my brothers, they’re still my guys," Towns said. "Just because the trade happened doesn’t mean I lost love for them. My love for them is always going to be there."