New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns delivered one of his best performances of the season Tuesday night, but the result still cut deep. In his first loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves since being traded, Towns scored a season-high 40 points along with 12 rebounds for the Knicks in a 115-104 defeat at Target Center. The box score told one story. The emotions told another.
Towns fouled out in the final minute, his night ending as Minnesota closed the door behind a late surge led by Anthony Edwards. For Towns, the moment was less about the loss and more about the reality of no longer belonging to the place he once called home.
“You could be at peace with it (the trade), but it still stings when you’re not walking in this locker room, coming to this amazing state, city, and realize you’re not going to the training facility anymore … and now you’re in a hotel,” Towns said, via Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “I think it hits different.”
A Night That Meant More Than Points
Towns was dominant early and relentless throughout, keeping New York afloat despite the absence of All-Star guard Jalen Brunson. He attacked mismatches, spaced the floor, and punished switches inside, reminding the crowd exactly why he was once the franchise cornerstone.
But Minnesota responded late. Julius Randle, one of the key pieces acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent Towns east, scored 17 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. Rudy Gobert controlled the glass and the paint. Edwards finished with 38 points as the Wolves improved to 20-10. Still, the night belonged emotionally to Towns.
Gratitude, Respect, and Closure
Drafted No. 1 overall in 2015, Towns spent nearly a decade in Minnesota, helping guide the franchise through rebuilds, playoff breakthroughs, and eventually a Western Conference Finals appearance. That history lingered in the building Tuesday and the crowd acknowledged it with a standing ovation as he walked to the bench in the closing moments of the game.
“It’s always good to be appreciated,” Towns said. “It’s nothing more valuable in this league, in this job, than to be respected. I left my heart & soul here in Minnesota. For the fans, even after two seasons away, to respect me the way they do, think of me highly, appreciate what I left on the court, means a lot. It really means a lot.”
Turning the Page, Not Erasing It
Towns’ departure followed questions about fit, durability, and Minnesota’s need to fully hand the franchise over to Edwards after the 2024 Western Conference Finals loss. The resulting trade, sending Towns to New York in exchange for Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, has benefited both sides, with each team reaching the conference finals in 2025.
Towns may never be remembered as the greatest Timberwolf, that legacy belongs to Kevin Garnett, but his imprint on the franchise is permanent. Tuesday night wasn’t about proving anything. It was about feeling it. And for Karl-Anthony Towns, that feeling still runs deep in Minnesota.