Knicks Beatdown Left Timberwolves Players Upset

The New York Knicks' dismantling of the Minnesota Timberwolves left some raw feelings on the vanquished side.

Dec 19, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) smiles as he rests on the bench in the fourth quarter of the game with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Film from their recent showdown against the New York Knicks proved to be the worst kind of Christmas movie for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Knicks are less than a week removed from one of their loudest statements of the season, taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves by a 133-107 final in Karl-Anthony Towns' hyped return to Target Center last Thursday. Towns posted a 32-point, 20-rebound double-double as he and the Knicks continue to distance themselves from a slow start.

SNY insider Ian Begley reported that the defeat created an uncomfortable film session at the Timberwolf facilities in the aftermath and a pair of former New Yorkers were particularly perturbed by what had transpired.

Dec 19, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) works around Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

"I heard the film session the next day for the Timberwolves, there were some strong emotions," Begley said in video from SNY. "Players were upset, including players like (Donte) DiVincenzo and Julius Randle, upset in that film session, I would only assume, that game the night before, maybe general themes."

"There was some emotion during that film session so let's see where Minnesota takes it from there, if they can get things straightened out or if they continued to flounder as we get closer to the trade deadline."

DiVincenzo and Randle, of course, headlined the package sent over to Minneapolis in exchange for Towns' services. It's still too early to declare an official winner of the deal but it's safe to say that things are trending in the Knicks' favor.

While Towns has performed as advertised and the Knicks are making a legitimate case to challenge the Eastern Conference's finest, the Timberwolves (14-14) have struggled to build upon last year's run to the Western Finals. As it stands, they hold the fourth and final spot in the Western Play-In Tournament and are mired in a three-game losing streak that began with Thursday's loss to the Knicks. Prior to the Knicks' visit, the Wolves had won six of seven after an 8-10 start.

DiVincenzo and Randle have struggled to duplicate their success from Manhattan: the former is averaging less than nine points a game off the bench while Randle has yet to rediscover the dominance he displayed on Madison Square Garden hardwood before a shoulder injury ended his last Knicks tour prematurely. They'll likely get a heroes' welcome next month when they make their first regular season visit to Manhattan since the trade but Timberwolves fans are no doubt disappointed by the early returns.

Both the Knicks and Timberwolves will be in action on Christmas Day: the Knicks open things up against the San Antonio Spurs (12 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) while the Timberwolves face the Dallas Mavericks immediately after.

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