Imagine their frequent flyer miles! Today, the New York Knicks (20*-8) will zip to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves (19-10) of the hinterlands. Then they’ll have to jet home in time to play the Christmas Day matinee. Let’s hope they’ve had time to wrap Christmas presents, or, like this extravagantly rich writer, have a well-paid assistant to handle that stuff.
Aside from the weariness of constantly being in a tin can 35,000 feet above the ground and a tough slate of games, the Knicks must be feeling
pretty good. They come into Minny having won 11 of their last 13, and the NBA Cup! Trouble awaits in the tundra, though. Their furry-faced opponents have taken nine of 13, and their last two victories came against the Bucks and Thunder (and OKC is no slouch).
Powered by Anthony Edwards (28.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 3.9 APG), the ‘Wolves are a well-balanced, top-10 team on both sides of the ball. Their offense is efficient at 117.8 (8th), and their defense is even stronger at 113.0 (7th), making them one of the better two-way teams in the NBA. Tough D? Yep. They allow 113.8 points per game (9th) and limit opponents to 45.7% shooting. Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid are two of their best paint protectors, but that lovable scamp Edwards is more than just an offensive dynamo–he averages 2.3 deflections, 1.2 steals, and almost a block per game.
When they last played, on November 5 at the Garden, the Knicks beat the doggies 137–114. OG Anunoby scored 25 points, and Jalen Brunson added 23 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. Julius Randle led Minnesota with 32 points. New York hit 19 of 42 threes and dominated the glass 50–31, holding Anthony Edwards to 15 points in his return. The 23-point win was Minnesota’s worst loss of the season.
This game should prove to be a closer affair. New York will play without Jalen Brunson (ankle), OG Anunoby (ankle), Miles McBride (ankle), and Guerschon Yabusele (illness–preparing to be traded). They will have Karl-Anthony Towns, however, returning to Minnesota for the final regular-season meeting between the teams. Without Brunson and Anunoby, New York will need strong leadership and scoring from KAT tonight if they hope to clear this high hurdle.
On the T’Wolves’ side, Joe Ingles is out for personal reasons, while Jaden McDaniels is listed as a game-time decision with a hip issue. OAKAAKUYOAK Julius Randle is averaging 22.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 5.6 APS, without missing a game. Another fine season for our old friend.
Prediction
ESPN.com favors Minny at 51%. Almost a toss-up! Well, we’d give them slightly better odds. The flea-bitten Wolves have homecourt advantage, and this is the last of a five-game homestand. They had yesterday off to rest and prepare, while the Knicks were at the airport, trying to Postmates Cartier jewelry for their spouses’ stockings. Without Jalen, OG, and Deuce, Mike Brown will need to tap into his creative side. He might even give Tyler Kolek his first start of the season and extensive minutes to rookie Mohamed Diawara. Wouldn’t that be something if the youngsters seized their opportunity and put down one of the toughest teams in the West? We don’t expect that to actually happen, but that would indeed be something.
Game Details
Teams: New York Knicks (20*-8) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (19-10)
Date: Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
