The return of fan favorite Donte DiVincenzo to New York began as a lovefest, but ended with some apparent animosity as the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks met in an otherwise meaningless NBA preseason game Sunday.
As the starters were being introduced, DiVincenzo received a loud ovation from Knicks fans in his first game back in New York after an offseason trade to the Timberwolves. And he hit a 3-pointer for the first basket of the game.
There was also some back-and-forth between DiVincenzo and the Knicks bench during the game while he was at the free throw line.
But afterwards, DiVincenzo and Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson had to be separated as both teams were leaving the floor.
When questioned by reporters, DiVincenzo suggested he was making an inside joke with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau while at the free throw line near the New York bench. However, Brunson – father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson – apparently didn’t see it that way.
DiVincenzo declined to comment on what the dustup with the elder Brunson was about. He added that his relationship with his former Villanova and Knicks teammate was unaffected.
‘My relationship with Jalen, that’s my brother and my best friend,’ DiVincenzo said. ‘That’s a separate relationship. I’ll talk about that privately, and figure everything out. But it is what it is.’
DiVincenzo averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game and set a Knicks record for 3-pointers last season.
However, he and All-Star forward Julius Randle were traded to Minnesota in a blockbuster three-way deal earlier this month that brought center Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
