The NBA conference finals are now in full swing. This time around, it features four teams who have fanbases that are starving for a title. There are the Pacers and Timberwolves, who have never won the NBA Finals, the Knicks, who have not won it since 1973, and the Thunder who technically have won one, but this was in Seattle as the Supersonics. While all four potential finals matchups would provide plenty of interest, a potential Knicks vs Wolves finals would likely offer the most intrigue. Here are some reasons why.

Ant-Man In Madison Square Garden

Timberwolves All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards is maybe the most exciting young superstar in the NBA. Imagine the level of excitement if a player like Edwards ends up inside the “Mecca of Basketball” for the NBA finals! Just picture it: Edwards hitting a dagger three in game three or four of the finals right in front of Spike Lee.

The Reggie Miller choke sign was disrespectful, but imagine what Ant-Man would do. He is the same player who told a former United States President to stand down, so he definitely would not have any issues getting into it with Spike.

Revenge Series For Towns And Randle

NBA All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle were traded for each other last October in a three-team deal. In addition to Towns, the Knicks acquired the draft rights to James Nnaji via the third team in the trade, the Charlotte Hornets. Along with Randle, the Wolves received Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a first-round pick from the Knicks.

One of the indictments on Towns was his interior defense. The Timberwolves would eventually acquire four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in 2022 to fill that need in the paint. Although the duo fit better than many expected, the Wolves decided to move on from Towns mainly for financial and roster flexibility. Towns said he was shocked and flabbergasted in an interview post-trade, but he was excited about the opportunity to play closer to home as a New Jersey native. Even still, KAT was probably a little upset and would love to face his former team in the finals.

Then, there is the Julius Randle side of the coin. After losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency and Mitchell Robinson for most of the regular season due to ankle surgery, the Knicks desperately needed help at the center position. Randle also had an expiring contract, and the Knicks had another player they liked at the power forward in OG Anunoby. Those factors made trading Randle pretty easy.

“You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted, and, you know, I feel wanted here.”

Randle said that during his introductory press conference for the Timberwolves. Although he also said he felt at home in Minnesota and expressed interest in signing long-term, perhaps he’s still holding a grudge against his former team. Randle would love a chance at the Knicks in the NBA finals.

End Of My NBA Rant

The Timberwolves and Knicks fell behind 0-2 to start the series but came roaring back in their respective Game Three matchups. The Wolves took a 31-point lead into halftime and never looked. Then, after being down by as many as 20, the Knicks took one in Indiana on the back of a 20-point fourth quarter by KAT.

The likelihood of this finals matchup seems pretty slim now. In NBA playoff history, over 92 percent of teams that have gone down 0-2 lost the series. At least one team, however, has overcome this deficit over the last four seasons. After what we saw in both Game Three contests, the conference finals matchups look far from over.

Edwards, Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, and Towns have shown take-over ability. If that continues to happen, we could still see a Knicks versus Timberwolves NBA finals matchup this June.