Who’s playing
Minnesota Timberwolves @ New York Knicks
Current records: Minnesota 21-19, New York 27-15
How to watch
- When: Friday January 17, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Or: Madison Square Garden – New York, New York
- TV: FanDuel SN – North
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $201.00
What you need to know
The Knicks and Timberwolves have been tied 5-5 since March 2019, but not for long. The New York Knicks will play at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will strut after a win while the Timberwolves will stumble after a loss.
On Wednesday, the Knicks needed a little extra time to put away the 76ers. They defeated Philadelphia with a 125-119 victory.
Jalen Brunson was his usual excellent self, going 14 of 22 on his way to 38 points plus five rebounds and two steals. It was his fourth straight game with at least 30 points. The team also received help from Josh Hart, who had a triple-double with ten points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Knicks broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. This is a new trend for them: They averaged 9.3 offensive rebounds per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games, they’ve averaged 12.6.
Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Timberwolves last Wednesday, but the final result didn’t. They were a bucket away from victory and fell 116-115 to the Warriors. Minnesota hasn’t had much luck with Golden State recently, as the team has come up short in the last two meetings.
The losing team was bolstered by Donte DiVincenzo, who nearly had a double-double with 28 points and nine assists. This dominant performance also gave him a new career high in offensive rebounds (four).
New York’s victory improved its record to 27-15. As for Minnesota, its defeat dropped its record to 21-19.
This competition is shaping up to be an explosion: the Knicks have been insanely accurate this season, making 49.7% of their field goals per game (they are ranked third in overall field goal percentage). It’s a different story for the Timberwolves, as they’ve only made 45.9 percent of theirs this season. Given the Knicks’ considerable advantage in this area, the Timberwolves will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Knicks won against the Timberwolves in their previous game in December 2024 by a conclusive 133-107. In that game, the Knicks took a 73-51 halftime lead, an impressive feat they will look to repeat on Friday.
Odds
New York is favorite with 4.5 points against Minnesota, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of ​​the line for this one, as the game opened with the Knicks as 3.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 218.5 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
New York and Minnesota both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- December 19, 2024 – New York 133 against. Minnesota 107
- January 1, 2024 – New York 112 against. Minnesota 106
- November 20, 2023 – Minnesota 117 against. New York 100
- March 20, 2023 – Minnesota 140 vs. New York 134
- November 7, 2022 – New York 120 against. Minnesota 107
- January 18, 2022 – Minnesota 112 against. New York 110
- December 28, 2021 – New York 96 vs. Minnesota 88
- March 31, 2021 – Minnesota 102 vs. New York 101
- February 21, 2021 – New York 103 against. Minnesota 99
- March 10, 2019 – Minnesota 103 vs. New York 92
