MINNEAPOLIS — The road trip ended the same way it began: With the Knicks getting overwhelmed by a high-level opponent.
In between, they took care of business, beating three weaker teams to make it a winning trip. However, just like the lopsided loss to the Celtics, this one-sided setback to the surprising Timberwolves was the latest example of the Knicks struggling against a quality team.
After this 117-100 romp at sold-out Target Center, the Knicks are now 1-5 against teams with winning records, their lone victory coming over the Cavaliers the second game of the season.
This was the end of a long road trip, and the Knicks sure looked like a tired team — it was their fifth game and fifth city in a week — after a competitive first half. Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves scored the first 11 points of the third quarter and never looked back in a dominant second half to remain undefeated at home (6-0).
The Knicks’ defense couldn’t slow down high-powered Minnesota, allowing the T’wolves to shoot 51.2 percent from the field and dish out 30 assists, while coach Tom Thibodeau’s team was sluggish, too often settling for contested jump shots.
Jalen Brunson scored 23 points and Julius Randle followed with 21 and 14 rebounds. Edwards had 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a commanding second-half performance for the Timberwolves and Karl-Anthony Towns, the much talked-about trade target of the Knicks from Piscataway, N.J., and former Leon Rose client, had 20 in sending his hometown team to its most lopsided loss of the young season. The large crowd really exploded in the waning seconds when DaQuan Jeffries missed two free throws, meaning a free Chick-fil-A sandwich for everyone with the Timberwolves app.
The Knicks were fortunate to be close after 24 minutes. It was an ugly offensive first half, the Knicks shooting just 37.7 percent from the field and 27.3 from 3-point range. Their ability to take care of the ball — they committed just three turnovers compared to the Timberwolves’ eight — and 8-1 edge on the offensive boards made up for it.
Minnesota led by as many as nine, but it was a two-point game at the break. Brunson continued his hot shooting, scoring a game-high 14 points in the half and Randle looked spry, doing most of his damage in the paint. The Knicks did a nice job on Edwards, limiting the young star to four points on 2 of 7 shooting, but were hurt in the paint by Rudy Gobert and Towns, who made eight of their 10 shots from the field as Minnesota shot a robust 52.5 percent.
The Timberwolves came out for the second half like they were shot out of a cannon, reeling off the first 11 points of the period to build a game-high, 13-point lead. The Knicks start was the opposite: Five empty possessions to start the third quarter, three missed jumpers and two turnovers. Edwards scored eight points and set up a Mike Conley 3-pointer in the first five minutes of the period, as Minnesota built a 15-point bulge. By the time the fourth quarter was to begin, the game was all but over, the Knicks trailing by 18.
It was still a successful road trip, more wins than losses, but it obviously ended on a sour note.