The Knicks were sluggish, the offense inexplicably disappeared for most of the fourth quarter and they were one Brooklyn shot away from their worst loss of the season.

The Knicks shocked everyone by pulling off a trade for Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo at the start of October, and that has transformed both teams. Towns was coming off an up-and-down playoff performance and there was plenty of debate about how good he really was,

Towns is dealing with a thumb ailment ahead of Knicks-Timberwolves, and New York can't afford to be without him much longer.