Tuesday's game perfectly captures blockbuster Julius Randle-Karl-Anthony Towns trade

It has been about 15 months since the blockbuster deal between the Knicks and Timberwolves sent shock waves to both fan bases. Karl-Anthony Towns was heading to New York after nine years with the Wolves. Julius Randle spent five seasons with the Knicks before he found out he would be joining Minnesota. Of course, Donte DiVincenzo also joined the Timberwolves in the trade.

On Tuesday, the two teams met up. With all three players making an imprint in the contest, it’s still fairly evident that a true winner of the trade still can’t be named.

Towns goes off for 40 in loss

The Timberwolves wound up victorious by the score of 115-104 on Tuesday. The Knicks were shorthanded without star point guard Jalen Brunson as well as OG Anunoby (the Timberwolves were without Jaden McDaniels).

Without one of the league’s best scorers, all eyes were on Towns to rebound against his former team. In the Knicks’ previous game against the Heat, the five-time All-Star only scored two points.

In order for New York to win a game few expected them to, it would take a Herculean effort from Towns. He didn’t disappoint and was the main star for the Knicks before fouling out with about a minute left. He was aggressive from the get-go and finished with 40 points and 13 rebounds.

Timberwolves fans are well aware of how talented he is. They also know (just like most players) Towns has his flaws. Often in foul trouble, three of his six fouls came on the offensive end.

Still, I’m sure many in the crowd wanted to see the home team Wolves come out on top and see Towns, a player they cheered for almost a decade, perform well.

Mission accomplished.

Randle shakes off uneven first three quarters

Entering the fourth quarter, Randle was in the midst of a subpar performance. The three-time All-Star was just 3-11 from the field over the first 3 quarters as the Knicks kept the game within reach. 

Re-entering the game with 9:24 remaining and Minnesota holding a slim 5-point advantage, Randle made sure that the Timberwolves left victorious. New York had no answer for their former player once he returned, and Randle scored 17 points on 7-9 shooting. He has been in a bit of a funk from long range, so he took the ball inside the teeth of the Knicks’ defense.

It wasn’t DiVincenzo’s best night scoring or shooting from deep, but he found other ways to make his mark. His eight assists tied a season-high, and he only committed one turnover. 

That’s all she wrote for the season series between the two clubs, with both teams winning the game played on their home court. The bigger picture, though, is that both teams got what they wanted in this trade, making it the ultimate win-win.