LOS ANGELES — Long before Minnesota ran roughshod over the Lakers on Saturday night, opening the postseason with a 117-95 win that made you wonder if this iteration of the Timberwolves might actually be better than the last, Donte DiVincenzo took some time to watch his old New York Knicks squad play in their first-round series opener against the Detroit Pistons.
On this night full of unexpected developments, when the Timberwolves managed to hold two of the best passers to ever play the game (Luka Dončić and LeBron James) to a combined four assists, short-circuiting the Lakers’ offense in the process, this revelation about DiVincenzo’s viewing habits was hardly a surprise.
It has been more than six months since the 28-year-old Timberwolves guard was part of the blockbuster trade that sent him and Julius Randle to Minnesota and Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. And while the hard feelings sparked by the deal might not have reached Dončić levels, it’s no secret that DiVincenzo was deeply hurt. So as players from both sides readied for their pregame workouts, DiVincenzo watched the first half of the 123-112 Knicks win at Madison Square Garden, where he became such a fan favorite last season.
There was no real vengeance in his heart, though. Not an unhealthy amount, anyway. His motive was twofold: Watch the Villanova brothers (Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges), who he’ll always love, while also getting a good look at the team he’s convinced could still use both his and Randle’s services.
“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.”
There was no trade verdict to be had on this night — both teams won, after all, and Towns played well — but Minnesota most assuredly sent a message.
Resident superstar Anthony Edwards did his part, flirting with a triple-double (22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds) while fighting through an off shooting night (eight-of-22). Jaden McDaniels assumed co-star duties for the evening, finishing with 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting while leading the defensive effort; Dončić (37 points, one assist) had his way as a scorer but never found his facilitating magic.
Naz Reid (23 points, including six threes) and Randle (16 points, five rebounds and five assists) were dominant in the frontcourt, with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch using Rudy Gobert sparingly (24 minutes) because, well, Dončić’s eyes tend to grow to the size of saucers when he’s on the floor.
It’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, but the fact that this Minnesota squad controlled a Dončić-led team was quite notable considering how he ended the Wolves’ season in five games during the Western Conference finals with Dallas last May. For those who forgot, Dončić and Kyrie Irving had their way with Minnesota in that series and Towns struggled mightily. Fast forward to Saturday, and this version of the Wolves had no such trouble.
Yet when it comes to the bigger picture, the combination of the Timberwolves’ strong finish to the regular season and their torching of the heavily favored Lakers should reshape the national conversation surrounding them. For all the focus on the business motivations in the deal, how they needed to do it to avoid the second apron luxury tax and maintain flexibility to build around Edwards in the years to come, this recent body of work has been impressive enough to warrant a basketball discussion too.
A quick recap, for the non-Minnesotan masses who surely missed it. From March 2 until the end of the regular season on April 13, a stretch during which they were healthier than they’ve been all season, this group so many pundits gave up on because of Towns’ departure went 17-4 while posting the league’s fourth-best net rating (behind Oklahoma City, the Clippers and Boston), second-best offensive rating and seventh-best defensive rating. They finished with seven fewer wins than their predecessors (49 compared to 56), but had a better record down the stretch (that team went 14-7 in its final 21 games).
If you’re a believer in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately? line of thinking, this is the team for you. They have had the profile of a true contender for quite some time, and there are signs that the confidence required to upset the third-seeded Lakers is unmistakably there.
Yet in stark contrast to last season, when the dynamic duo of Edwards and Towns was the driving force, there’s a “strength in numbers” vibe that has them all bullish on what might come next.
“Our depth is incredible, and we just got bigger,” Timberwolves veteran Mike Conley, the 37-year-old in his third season with Minnesota, told The Athletic. “We have more shooting with Donte, and Julius can shoot. The spacing on the floor is a little different with KAT. He’s an elite spacer with his size and with what he can do in the post-up game. Julius can shoot the ball pretty good too, but he’s a facilitator. He comes down and plays point forward for us. So it was something for all of us to get used to. We were trying to figure out how to work around (him), and now I think we’ve found a good rhythm.”
To say the least.
“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.”
If Game 1 was any indication — and it was — that much was quite clear.
(Top photo of Donte DiVincenzo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
