Minnesota Timberwolves

Towns on Porzingis: 'I can't wait to be playing against him for the next 20 years'

Published Dec. 17, 2015 1:57 p.m. ET

foxsports

Wednesday night didn't give us the classic first-overall pick vs. second-overall pick game that everyone anticipates each year. It gave us something better: The leading Rookie of the Year candidate vs. the one in line to finish second. Here's the thing, though: No one can really answer which guy is which.

Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Kristaps gave us everything we could've wanted Wednesday. Towns, apparently, agreed—or so he said after the Knicks defeated his Timberwolves 107-102, via ESPN's Ian Begley:

Porzingis finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds but dominated on the defensive end, controlling the game completely and swatting seven shots, including two of Towns'. Towns finished with a stellar line as well, going for 25 points and 10 boards. Unfortunately, the three-pointer he tried at the end of regulation never got anywhere near the basket. Porzingis blocked that one, too.

"I can't wait to be playing against him for the next 20 years.”

Those were rookie Karl-Anthony Towns' thoughts on Kristaps Porzingis shortly after facing the Knicks rookie for the first time.

And if Wednesday’s 107-102 Knicks victory is any indication, the Porzingis-Towns matchup could be appointment viewing for years to come.

Towns, a New Jersey native, had 25 points and 10 rebounds to fuel a second-half comeback bid that fell short, overshadowing Porzingis’ eye-popping seven blocks.

“Those two are the future,” one Knick said after the game.

Towns is right, though. This should be fun for a long, long time.