1 for 3! Go to the Western Conference Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals! The most underrated deal this season

On May 17, in the G6 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals of the NBA playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Knicks 81-119. The defending champion was officially eliminated, with the Knicks East facing the Pacers. The Knicks' last time they entered the Eastern Conference Finals dates back to 2000, when they were eliminated by the Pacers 4-2. Can the Knicks complete revenge during this encounter?

The Knicks commentator said excitedly after the game: "The last time the Knicks entered the Eastern Conference Finals, Brunson was just 3 years old. At that time, he was still running around in the Knicks locker room (Brunson was a Knicks player at the time). Now, Brunson has only been three years since he has become one of the most outstanding players in the Knicks' history!"

The focus of today's article is not Brunson, but Towns! In this game, Towns played 34 minutes and 43 seconds, made 8 of 20 shots, 1 of 6 of 3-pointers, and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 21 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal, with a plus-minus value +25. Towns eliminated the defending champion for two consecutive years: the Nuggets 4-3 in the second round of the playoffs last year, and the Celtics 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs this year.

On September 28, 2024, the Timberwolves sent Towns to the Knicks, and the 1-for-3 trade was given to Randall, Divincenzo and 1 first-round pick (from the Pistons, protected by the top 13 picks in 2025). At that time, many reporters believed that the Pistons would continue to play badly and could retain the first round. Unexpectedly, the Pistons made it to the playoffs, and the Timberwolves won the No. 17 pick in the first round.

Before the start of this season, many people were not optimistic about this deal, after all, the Timberwolves just reached the Western Conference Finals last season. The trade that I thought was a lose-lose now looks like a win-win situation! The Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers and Warriors and entered the Western Conference Finals again. Randall finally got rid of the title of "playoff cancer" and played the strongest performance in his playoff career this year.

Randle averaged 37.6 minutes in the playoffs, scoring 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 3.1 turnovers. His three shooting percentages were: 50.9%, 34.5%, and 88.9%. Towns averaged 35.7 minutes in the playoffs, scoring 19.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 2 turnovers, with three shooting percentages: 48.1%, 34.1%, 92%.

Timberwolves and Knicks, do you think these two teams can meet in the finals?