Donte DiVincenzo sent a message to the New York Knicks, his former team, after he helped the Minnesota Timberwolves take a 1-0 lead against the favored No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers.
In an interview with The Athletic, DiVincenzo revealed he watched the first half of the Knicks’ Game 1 win over the Detroit Pistons.
“I watch it from a different point of view now,” DiVincenzo, who had nine points, five rebounds, and four assists in 24:33 of playing time, told The Athletic afterward. “I’m watching my boys hoop, but I’m also watching from the basketball perspective. What did me and Julius bring that maybe they’re missing? Or what did KAT have here (with the Timberwolves) where we implement something different?
“So, obviously, you have a chip on your shoulder, and you wish them the best. But at the same time, you also want to send a message. We’re over here, and we’re focused on winning as many games over here as possible. And KAT’s in the same position as us. Send a message to the Timberwolves. It’s natural.”
DiVincenzo watched the Knicks struggle in the opening half against the Pistons. He missed the Knicks’ 21-0 run that ripped the hearts out of the Pistons for the come-from-behind win.
Karl-Anthony Towns went berserk in the second half to finish with 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists with four steals and two blocks. Towns shot an ultra-efficient 10-of-14 from the field.
He provided the Knicks what they lacked in the playoffs when Randle was in New York — efficiency and star power next to Jalen Brunson.
DiVincenzo also missed Cam Payne‘s second-half heroics, sparking the Knicks’ second-half comeback.
Payne finished with 14 points and a game-high plus-23 in a spark plug role which DiVincenzo filled admirably that made him a fan-favorite in New York last year.
Win-Win Trade?
While DiVincenzo is still keeping tabs on his former team, he and Julius Randle have also found their groove with their new team.
They helped the Timberwolves finish with a strong 17-4 record in their last 21 games to punch the sixth seed.
DiVincenzo averaged 13.1 points on 44.8% 3-point shooting, 3.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals during this span. On the other hand, Randle produced 18.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 52.3% from the field and 39.8% from deep.
Then they dominated the Lakers in Game 1 of their playoff series.
Randle contributed 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in the Timberwolves’ 117-95 rout of the Lakers, his first playoff game since missing the Knicks’ postseason run last year.
The Towns-Randle/DiVincenzo trade was initially judged as great for the Knicks and bad for the Timberwolves. But as the Timberwolves continue to look like a contender with the former Knicks duo, the trade is beginning to look like a win-win.
Donte DiVincenzo Prides Timberwolves Depth
Six players scored nine or more points in their Game 1 win, showcasing the Timberwolves’ newfound depth, which they did not have last year in their top-heavy offense led by Anthony Edwards and Towns.
Jaden McDaniels led the team in scoring with 25. Naz Reid, who is having a breakout season following Towns’ departure, added 23, while Edwards finished with 22.
DiVincenzo takes pride in how the Timberwolves are coming along just at the right time.
“The beautiful thing about this team is that when Jaden has a night like tonight, you keep it rolling with Jaden,” DiVincenzo said. “When Naz has a night like tonight, you keep it rolling with Naz. Mike can have a night. I can have a night. Julius can have a night. Most teams don’t have that. Most teams have your top two, three guys who may have a night. But here, we have eight guys who can have a night.
“It’s a different dynamic with Julius and I. For (starters), you’ve got two people who you can throw at (the other team). But also, you have two different types of guys. I think our makeup with Julius and I here is that we blend in well with them. We can have any eight guys guard Luka. … I’m not saying you’re going to stop him. I’m just saying you have eight guys to throw bodies at him, and it’s a full 48-minute game. When you have eight guys, you can just keep funneling them in. We’re in shape. We’re conditioned. And we want that challenge.”
It’s that depth which the Knicks missed in the regular season and nearly led to an embarrassing Game 1 loss until Payne bailed them out.
