Sunday’s preseason matchup between the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Sq. Backyard offered some critical fireworks, and it had nothing to do with the precise basketball being performed. In his first (preseason) sport in opposition to his former staff, Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo acquired into a number of altercations — first showing to shout at Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and later needing to be separated from Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, the daddy of New York’s All-NBA level guard Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks traded DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves within the Karl-Anthony Cities deal two weeks once more, separating him from three former Villanova teammates on the Knicks in Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges.
The motion on Sunday evening began when DiVincenzo went to the free-throw line halfway via the primary quarter. Earlier than taking his shot, he appeared over towards the Knicks bench and started shouting. The printed was capable of choose up the audio, and DiVincenzo appeared to say, “Cannot end, proper Thibs?” earlier than saying “that is what occurs after they allow you to run the present.”
DiVincenzo stated after the sport that he was not speaking to Thibodeau concerning the commerce.
As they walked previous one another after the sport, DiVincenzo and Rick Brunson then acquired right into a shouting match on the court docket and issues escalated to the purpose that members of each groups stepped in to calm the scenario. It is unclear what the 2 have been arguing about, however DiVincenzo was picked up at one level saying, “I used to be speaking to Thibs.”
DiVincenzo, who supplied no remark concerning the Brunson scenario after the sport, slot in completely with the Knicks final season, averaging profession highs in factors (15.5), 3-pointers (283) and 3-point proportion (40.1%). He additionally made one of the vital memorable clutch photographs in Knicks playoff historical past throughout Recreation 2 of New York’s first-round sequence in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers this previous postseason.
“The ground was like shaking. We have been in a timeout and the ground was shaking,” DiVicenzo stated of the aftermath of his game-winner. “I’ve by no means been part of one thing like that.”
With these recollections recent in his thoughts, it is comprehensible that DiVincenzo can be a bit miffed about being despatched packing and take it out on his former staff, however he is in one other successful scenario with the Wolves, who superior to the Western Convention finals final season and dethroned the Denver Nuggets alongside the way in which.
