DiVincenzo has phrases with Rick Brunson at MSG

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, taking part in at Madison Sq. Backyard for the primary time since being traded from New York two weeks in the past, needed to be separated from Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson following the Knicks’ 115-110 preseason victory Sunday evening.

Gamers and coaches had been shaking fingers and embracing because the rating went closing, however DiVincenzo and Brunson — the daddy of Knicks star Jalen Brunson — had phrases for one another throughout a short verbal dustup on the Backyard flooring.

“I used to be speaking to Thibs,” DiVincenzo was heard saying on digicam to Rick Brunson at one level.

The postgame trade occurred after DiVincenzo had already been proven on digicam on the free throw line shouting towards the Knicks sideline earlier within the recreation.

“That is what occurs once they allow you to run the present,” DiVincenzo mentioned twice earlier than firing up a free throw in the course of the first quarter.

After the sport, the swingman declined to specify precisely who he was jawing with on the Knicks sideline, and prompt that he initially was having fun with an inside joke with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

By way of the postgame trade with Rick Brunson, particularly, DiVincenzo declined remark about it and mentioned he’d desire to speak issues out privately with him.

The moments involving DiVincenzo, who completed with 15 factors and 7 assists, in some methods overshadowed the truth that it was four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns‘ first recreation in opposition to his former workforce of 9 seasons, and two-time All-NBA ahead Julius Randle‘s first time again at The Backyard after spending six years as a Knick.

Cities had 16 factors and 16 boards, whereas Randle, nonetheless rehabbing from proper shoulder surgical procedure, did not play.

In the course of the first timeout, the Knicks performed a video on the world’s jumbotron honoring Randle and DiVincenzo.

DiVincenzo, a key member of final season’s Knicks workforce who broke the franchise report for 3-pointers in a season, starred at Villanova alongside Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, all of whom now play for the Knicks.

Jalen Brunson had his arm wrapped round DiVincenzo, who served as a groomsman within the Knick star’s wedding ceremony, throughout a bit of the postgame verbal trade on the Backyard flooring.

Jalen Brunson mentioned, “I used to be proper there,” when requested if he noticed the trade between his father and DiVincenzo. “It was phrases of affirmation.”

“My relationship with Jalen, that is my brother and my finest buddy,” DiVincenzo mentioned. “That is a separate relationship. I am going to speak about that privately, and determine all the pieces out. However it’s what it’s.”

Wolves star Anthony Edwards mentioned he loves the aggressive hearth and aggression DiVincenzo performs with.

“You’ll be able to’t be mad at him, man,” Edwards mentioned, talking concerning the guard’s play on the whole. “He makes all the proper performs and shoots the duvet off the ball. New York is unquestionably gonna miss him.”

The opposite Timberwolves acknowledged feeling their fair proportion of emotion over the course of the evening, too. Edwards known as Cities his brother, whereas Minnesota coach Chris Finch mentioned it might take some time for it to really feel regular seeing the massive man in a distinct uniform.

“It is like a demise within the household in some methods,” Finch mentioned. “You gotta make it via that first yr and all the pieces goes to be a bit odd. As soon as we get began, it will be enterprise as traditional.”