In a recent interview, Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he was not willing to leave the Timberwolves during the trade to the Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns had 32 points and 20 rebounds in his return to Minnesota in leading the inspired New York Knicks past the Timberwolves 133-107.

Towns gave fans at Target Center plenty of great memories, too, and they showed their appreciation. A sparse crowd cheered Towns when he came out for pregame warmups an hour before the game. By the time Towns was announced as a Knicks starter and the tribute played on the video board, a filled-in and sold-out crowd let out a roaring applause.

Karl-Anthony Towns smiled at the surreal moment as he walked into the Target Center interview room hours before the Knicks played the Timberwolves in his return to Minnesota for the first time since being traded to New York.

Timberwolves fans gave Karl-Anthony Towns a warm welcome back to Target Center in Minneapolis Thursday night, giving him a loud round of applause following a tribute video played during the New York Knicks' pregame introductions.

The acquisition of star center Karl-Anthony Towns has already paid dividends for the New York Knicks, and many around the NBA are starting to take

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns received a rousing ovation from the Target Center faithful as he took the court on Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with whom he spent the first nine seasons of his prolific NBA career.