Knicks at Timberwolves Daily Line NBA & 2024 Expert Analysis in Week 9

The NBA was dark on Wednesday after the NBA Cup title game on Tuesday night, but the league returns with a big slate on Thursday topped by a potential NBA Finals preview as the New York Knicks visit the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are short favorites on the NBA odds in Week 9.

It’s a return to the Twin Cities for New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns after a summer trade.

How to Bet Knicks at Timberwolves Daily Line NBA & TV Info

When: Thursday, 9:30 PM ET
Where: Target Center
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app

New York Knicks Analysis

The Knicks have been off since a 100-91 win in Orlando on Sunday, and have now alternated wins and losses over their past five. In a game added to the schedule when Tuesday’s loss to Atlanta eliminated the Knicks from the NBA Cup tournament, the Knicks relied on defense and rebounding (45-39) before pulling away to a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Knicks had 12 turnovers in the first half, only six in the second half.

no knicks basketball till thursday?? pic.twitter.com/cSxB96FNro

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 17, 2024

Jalen Brunson

Brunson finished Sunday’s win with 31 points, five assists and three boards, bouncing back from a 14-point effort in the previous game in that loss to the Hawks. It was Brunson’s eighth 30-point game of the season, and he scored 17 of his team-high 31 in the second half. It was also Brunson’s 61st 30-point game as a Knick, tying Walt Frazier for the eighth most in franchise history. It also marked his 49th game as a Knick in which he recorded 30+ points and five or more assists, passing Frazier for second most such games in Knicks history.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Anthony Towns finished with 22 points and a season-high 22 rebounds – it was his sixth career game with at least that many boards and 13th career game and first time as a Knick recording 20+ points and 20+ rebounds. This is ranked fourth in the NBA amongst active players, only trailing Andre Drummond (45), Kevin Love (16) and Nikola Jokić (14). Towns has recorded 15+ rebounds in six consecutive games, which trails Willis Reed and Walt Bellamy for the longest streak of 15+ rebounds in Knicks history.

KAT also became the first Knick since Julius Randle in 2023 to produce a stat line of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. Although his shooting has cooled off in December, Towns has made up for it by increasing his output in rebounds and blocks. Over his last six games, he’s averaging 21.5 points and 17.7 rebounds.

Mikal Bridges

Bridges chipped in 17 points in 41 minutes — he leads the league in minutes, and it was already the third time he cleared over 40 minutes in December. And he made some history, appearing in his 500th consecutive game, becoming the first since Terry Tyler not to miss any of his first 500 games in the NBA. Bridges, who had a slow start to the season, has been highly effective on the offensive end this month. He’s averaging 21.1 points — up from 14.7 points in November — and has a sterling 66.5% effective field goal rate over the course of the month, the NBA’s best amongst players who’ve attempted at least 75 shots.

The Shots

The Knicks shot 46.5-percent from the field, 41.7-percent from three and 80-percent from the free-throw line Sunday. It marked the eighth time this season in which the Knicks shot 40-percent or more from the field, 40-percent or more from three, and 80-percent or more from the free-throw line, which is tied for first in the NBA this season. New York ranks second in the NBA in effective field goal percentage (57.8), second in true shooting percentage (61.0), second in assist ratio (20.2), third in offensive rating (119.7) and four assists/turnover ratio (2.12).

The big story of this game is Towns’ return to Minnesota for the first time since this summer’s blockbuster trade. He was drafted first overall by the Timberwolves in 2015 and sits No. 2 on the franchise’s all-time list of points, rebounds and blocks.

“I don’t know (how they will embrace me). But I know that every single day that I put on that Timberwolves’ jersey, I gave the absolute best of me even when I wasn’t 100 percent,” Towns said. “I gave them all of me mentally, physically, spiritually. I was there nine years, so I go there with a lot of pride and joy for the memories that I have.”

Minnesota Timberwolves Analysis

The Wolves won their second game in a row on Sunday, 106-92 at San Antonio. The Spurs opened the second half on a 20-9 run to trim Minnesota’s lead to 61-57. Minnesota went on a 10-2 run, bridging the third and fourth quarters to regain control of the game after San Antonio had pared its lead to four points midway through the third quarter. The Spurs were 11 for 45 (24.4%) on 3-pointers after entering the game shooting 35% from the perimeter.

Anthony Edwards

Edwards led the way with 26 points while adding five rebounds. Since Edwards called out the team following a loss Nov. 27, the Wolves have won six of seven games to get themselves back into the playoff picture. They are currently tied with the Suns for the No. 6 seed. The team had a player-only meeting last month, and their group chat has been instrumental in starting to turn the season around.

Donte DiVincenzo

“That’s essentially our safe space,” guard DiVincenzo said. “Everybody knows whatever you say in there stays in there. More so like 90% of the time you’re joking around, messing around, sending funny stuff back and forth, picking on each other. Then when [stuff] hits the fan, that’s where most guys feel comfortable being able to express what they’re thinking.”

Rudy Gobert

Gobert registered 10 points and nine rebounds Sunday, one board shy of what would’ve been his 12th double-double of the campaign. He’s averaging 10.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 blocks this year. Former Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid continued to struggle, though, with just three points in 27 minutes. Reid has now been held to single-digit points in seven of his last 11 games. During that stretch, he’s averaging just 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Rob Dillingham

Rookie point guard Dillingham scored his first points against San Antonio after being traded to Minnesota. The Spurs selected Dillingham, who scored three points, with the eighth pick in the NBA Draft and traded him to the Timberwolves for a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 protected pick swap.

The Timberwolves’ recent defensive stretch has elevated them to a Top-5 scoring defense in the NBA this season, ranking fourth in the association (106.1 ppg) in opponent’s points per game, fifth in opponents first half points per game (53.2 ppg) and third in opponents second half points (51.9 ppg). The Wolves join Oklahoma City and Houston as the only three teams to be in the Top-5 in all three categories.

WE'RE SO BACKKKK 🔒 pic.twitter.com/ekp0Hn7DE6

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 17, 2024

Minnesota has held opponents to 40.0% or less from the field and 30.0% or less from three in four games this season, tied for the second most such games this season. The Wolves are one of only five teams to have held their opponents below 20.0% from deep multiple times this season, joining Oklahoma City, New York, Memphis, LA and Boston.

Knicks vs Timberwolves Series History

New York leads 36-30 but trails 17-16 at Minnesota and lost their last season 117-100. Anthony Edwards had 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points for the Wolves. Jalen Brunson scored 25 points and Julius Randle had 21 for New York, which shot 34.8% to Minnesota’s 51.3%. This off season, the Wolves traded Towns to New York for Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick.

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