Julius Randle, Knicks spoil Timberwolves' New Year

Randle scored 39 points and helped New York put the game away.

It looked like the Timberwolves were going to start the New Year with a bang.

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns were each off to hot starts, shots were falling and the Wolves took a nine-point lead over the New York Knicks into the second quarter.

Then things started to unravel.

Minnesota turned the ball over seven times in the second frame, Edwards and Towns went cold and the Knicks outscored the Wolves by 21 points in the quarter to take a 12-point halftime lead. Then the Knicks held on for a 112-106 victory on New Year's Day at Madison Square Garden despite a furious fourth-quarter rally from the Wolves.

Julius Randle scored 21 of his 39 points for the Knicks (18-15) in the first half, and the New York offense was firing on all cylinders in the second quarter with 38 points in the frame. Randle also had nine rebounds in the game. The Wolves (24-8), meanwhile, struggled to move the ball, recording just five assists in the first half. 

"Just some wild passing," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters about the turnover issues in the second quarter. "The same stuff that's been plaguing us, driving into a crowd, trying to thread the needle on a pass, turn up into a packed paint. That kind of stuff." 

Jalen Brunson had no issue getting the Knicks offense going, tallying 14 assists to go along with 16 points. New York took a lead as large as 22 points during the third quarter, leaving Minnesota searching for answers and a spark.

The Wolves found one: Jordan McLaughlin. McLaughlin — who Finch subs in situationally, often when they’re in need of a spark — did a little bit of everything for Minnesota as it looked to whittle down the New York lead.

Two steals. Seven points. A couple assists. McLaughlin’s instant spark helped the Wolves shave six points off the Knicks’ lead, and New York took a 94-78 lead into the fourth quarter.

"(McLaughlin has) now played in three of the last handful of games and every single time has come in and had a super positive impact," Finch said. 

Finch kept McLaughlin out to start the fourth quarter and the Wolves went on an 8-0 run to open the frame and cut the Knicks’ lead in half. Then Minnesota cut it in half again — down to four points with just over five minutes to play in New York.

But Randle scored on back-to-back possessions to push the New York lead back to eight. The Wolves again cut the Knicks’ lead back to five and six, but every time Randle had an answer. He was fouled and made a layup with 23.6 seconds left and made the ensuing free throw to put the Knicks up 110-102 and put the game on ice. 

OG Anunoby, playing in his first game for the Knicks since being traded from the Toronto Raptors, had 17 points and six rebounds. 

Edwards finished with 35 points, his third straight game with 30-plus points for the Wolves. Towns scored 29 points and had six rebounds.

McLaughlin had nine points, three assists, two steals and one rebound in 12 minutes and had a plus-minus of plus-13.

Final key stats

• Anthony Edwards: 35 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
• Karl-Anthony Towns: 29 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
• Rudy Gobert: 10 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist
• Jordan McLaughlin: 9 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound
• Julius Randle: 39 points, 9 rebounds
• Jalen Brunson: 16 points, 14 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals