Timberwolves 116, Knicks 99: “Wheels came off in the 4th.”

The Knicks make 14 three-pointers but can’t stop Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolf barrage from the perimeter.

Recently, I read Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat. It affected me so much that, upon completion, I symbolically adopted a wolf through the Wolf Conservation Center. Indeed, I have fond feelings for wolves . . . but not the Minnesota Timberwolves (22-19).

Tonight, they visited Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks (27-16). When these two clashed in December, back in the hinterlands, the ‘Bockers trounced them. Tonight, the Furballs took their revenge, spoiling Tom Thibodeau’s birthday and winning Julius Randle’s return to Madison Square Garden, 116-99.

Randle, who scored seven rebounds, six assists, and eight points on six shot attempts, spent five seasons at Madison Square Garden. He factored into the franchise’s rejuvenation and despite his occasionally contentious relationship with the fans, the MSG faithful treated him to an ovation during introductions.

From the jump, the captain, Jalen Brunson, ignited the Knicks’ offense by scoring 10 of their first 13 points. He launched a career-high five first-quarter three-pointers, swishing three. Meanwhile, his counterpart, the veteran Mike Conley, also put up 10 points, propelling Minnesota to an early 20-16 lead. Yet again, the Knicks struggled with ball security; three turnovers cost them eight points.

Filling in for Karl-Anthony Towns (sprained thumb), Jericho Sims managed six minutes on the court before coach Tom Thibodeau replaced him with Precious Achiuwa. Sims would finish with zero points and five rebounds in 19 minutes; Achiuwa collected six points, nine boards, three assists and blocks, and a steal in his 36 minutes.

On the opposing side, Anthony Edwards missed his first six attempts before scoring from beyond the arc to extend the Timberwolves’ lead to seven points. Minnesota collectively hit 6-of-12 threes, closing the quarter with a 28-21 advantage. That slow start aside, Edwards had a helluva game overall, tallying totals of 36 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, making 12-of-21 from the field and 8-of-13 from deep.

When these teams met in December, New York won the second quarter 41-18. Minny didn’t go down so easily tonight. Although the second quarter featured unabashed Cameron Payne fireworks—18 points in six minutes, thanks to hitting 4-of-5 from deep—the Furballs seemed to have an answer for each Knick make. Naz Reid and Edwards combined for seven points on a T’Wolves 12-4 run that flipped a two-point deficit into a six-point lead.

Sizzling shooting defined the first half, with each team hitting 62%. New York sank 10-of-16 and the Midwesterners made 13-of-21. The latter’s Reid converted all four of his longballs for a team-high, 16 first-half points, and finished with 23 points on 6-of-6 from deep. Nearly as impressive: the Knicks did not commit their first foul of the game until 7:20 in the second quarter. And Randle didn’t collect his first points until he shot those two free throws. (He had 21 first half points in their December meeting, but just two tonight.)

Halftime score: Timberwolves, 63-59.

Few fouls were called in this game, but there was a ton of contact. In the first half, Josh Hart seemed to hurt his shoulder or arm but played on; three minutes into the third quarter, he was shoved from behind into Sims, was reinjured, and trudged back to the locker room. The heart of the team, he can’t be kept down; he returned to the fray a few minutes later. The tri-state area breathed a collective sigh of relief.

All that impressive accuracy in the first half fell off a cliff in the third quarter. New York went on a scoreless drought for three minutes. Fortunately, the Timberwolves bricked, too, and didn’t capitalize on their opportunity. When Anunoby finally connected from the right corner and followed that up with two free-throws, the game was knotted at 78, but Reid swished again to give the visitors an 81-78 lead heading into the fourth frame. Anunoby finished the game with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double and logged three assists, a steal and a block.

Quoth xhu35: “Wheels came off in the 4th.” They sure did. The Knicks, missing Karl desperately, went flat in the fourth while Minnesota looked bouncy fresh. By midway through the quarter, Anthony Edwards took over and extended Minnesota’s lead to 13. New York traded hoops for the next few minutes, but couldn’t make stops or do anything to slow down the T’Wolves’ perimeter assault. At the two minute mark, they tumbled into their deepest hole because of, what else? Another Anthony Edwards three-pointer.

The Knicks would have been better off putting a jersey on this fan and sliding him into the game in the fourth quarter.

Notes

• Jalen Brunson scored 26 points, five assists, one steal and a turnover in 36 minutes. Made 9-of-23 from the field.
• Cam Payne’s 18 points and four threes in the first half were career-highs. His high for a game as a Knick is 19, which he was on pace to break if not for going scoreless after intermission.
• New York’s fewest fouls in a game this season is 12. They were whistled for just four in the first half but finished the game with 13.
• Josh Hart has missed one game this season. The prospect of him suffering an injury that sidelines him for any length of time makes our blood run cold. He finished with 12 points, eight boards, and three steals in 38 minutes.
• Tom Thibodeau has successfully completed 67 trips around the sun.
• Mikal Bridges finished with 15 points, five assists, and four rebounds. 6-of-17 shooting. 39 minutes.
• Tonight’s MSG trivia question: Who holds the Knicks’ record for highest scoring record in a season? Bernard King, 32.9 points per game, 1984-85.

Up Next

The Knicks get to enjoy a weekend off and then host Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks for a matinee on MLK day. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

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