Karl-Anthony Towns was coached by Tom Thibodeau for 2 ¹/₂ seasons early in his NBA career in Minnesota, and they didn’t always see eye-to-eye over the young big man’s development.
Even before they were reunited with the Knicks, Towns had said whatever beef there was between them already had been “squashed” and was “done years ago.”
The 29-year-old Towns said following Wednesday’s win over the Jazz that Thibodeau is “a different man” now and more mellow than he was a decade ago with the Timberwolves, before adding, “I like this version going into 2025.”
“You’ve seen him smile. I’ll keep it at that,” Towns said after registering 31 points and 21 rebounds in the Knicks’ ninth straight win ahead of Friday’s game in Oklahoma City. “I think that we all in life, we grow. I’ve grown since the time when we were together in Minnesota. He’s grown. I think that we’re just, in this game of life, we’re just finding ourselves and getting better all the time.”
Towns was named Player of the Month in the Eastern Conference for December after averaging 23.2 points and 14.6 rebounds while shooting 56.6 percent in 13 games. OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.3 ppg) won the award in the West.
Towns is the first Knick since Patrick Ewing (1989-90) to record multiple 30-plus point, 20-plus rebound games in the same season.
Jalen Brunson (right calf tightness) and Miles McBride (left hamstring tightness) have been listed as questionable after sitting out Wednesday’s game.
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Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti were assigned to G-League Westchester, but rookie Tyler Kolek was not, in case he’s needed to play.
In the first returns for All-Star voting, Towns ranks third in the frontcourt in the Eastern Conference behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum, which would put him on track to start the Feb. 16 showcase event at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Brunson ranks fourth among guards in the East, behind LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard.
What’s happening on and off the Garden court
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Towns on Kolek playing 40 minutes in a G-League game Wednesday and then 12 minutes off the bench for the Knicks later that night: “Yeah, I was very much aware. He played a lot of minutes today. He deserves a break. That goes back to AAU. … I’ve done that, but I never had a doubleheader in a single day in the NBA. So shout-out to him.”
