Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis faced off vs. Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns Wednesday night in a battle between the top two contenders for the Rookie of the Year. The Knicks took the victory, but Porzingis and Towns played to a sort of draw.
Towns scored at will, dropping 25 on the Knicks on 11-of-21 shooting from the field. He supplemented that with 10 rebounds, and was on the floor for 32 minutes.
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Porzingis, who has developed a reputation for his scoring, only managed 11 points in his 29 minutes. He shot just 4-of-14 from the field, and was dreadful from beyond the arc, making 1-of-6 from 3-point land. What Porzingis did do, however, was throw a block party New York City style. Porzingis finished the game with seven blocks, and posted a plus-minus of four, while Towns was minus-five. He also victimized Towns twice.
Defense was supposed to be Towns’ thing, but Porzingis is quickly proving he can do it all. He’s also becoming a leader for the Knicks, which head coach Derek Fisher acknowledged after the game.
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“I think his mindset tonight really set the tone for our group,” Fisher said. “Kris’ shot-blocking abilities and his ability to rebound, it helps us to play him at the center spot and still be able to get away with that even if he’s guarding a bigger guy.”
