Edwards, McDaniels and Minnesota's three-point barrage bury Knicks at the Garden

The half turned on Minnesota's shotmaking

Minnesota established the game on its own terms almost immediately. The Knicks briefly moved in front 6-5 in the opening quarter, but that turned out to be their only lead. Edwards kept finding space for pull-up jumpers and early threes, McDaniels stretched the floor from the wing, and the Timberwolves closed the first quarter ahead 30-25.

The separation started to feel real in the second. New York fought back to level the score at 41-41 on Jalen Brunson's turnaround jumper with 5:34 left in the half, yet that was the moment Minnesota hit the accelerator again. McDaniels poured in 14 second-quarter points, repeatedly scoring from the perimeter and the lane, and the Timberwolves finished the half on a 21-9 run. Edwards supplied the exclamation point, drilling a 36-foot three at the buzzer to send Minnesota into the break up 62-50.

New York threatened, then Minnesota's depth took over

The Knicks did produce their sharpest push in the third quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns and Brunson helped chip away, and Towns' pair of free throws at 5:24 cut the deficit to 77-74. Minnesota answered before the game could turn. Ayo Dosunmu knocked down a three, Bones Hyland scored at the rim, Jaylen Clark added a floater and Trey Lyles connected from deep. By the end of the quarter, the Timberwolves still held a 90-80 advantage.

Any hope of a late New York comeback faded in the opening minutes of the fourth. Jose Alvarado made it 90-82, but Minnesota's second wave responded with a clean, decisive burst. Cody Williams hit a three, KJ Martin followed with another, Zyon Pullin scored off the dribble and Norchad Omier added a basket inside. That sequence pushed the margin to 102-86, and the Knicks never got back within striking distance.

Edwards finished with 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting and went 5-for-8 from three, but Minnesota's balance mattered almost as much as its star power. McDaniels shot 8-for-12 and hit four of five from deep for his 22 points. LaMelo Ball added 10 points and seven assists, Dosunmu supplied 11 points and three steals, and Minnesota's bench delivered 56 points. New York got 20 points from Brunson, 15 from OG Anunoby and 11 from Towns, while Tony Bradley gave the home side an efficient 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting.

Our take

This result was decided by arithmetic as much as rhythm. Minnesota made 18 of 34 from three-point range, while New York hit just 8 of 32. That 10-made-three gap translated into a 30-point swing from beyond the arc, more than enough to explain an 18-point final margin. The Timberwolves also won the glass 39-28 and turned New York's 19 turnovers into 24 points.

There were still a couple of warning signs for the winners. Minnesota also committed 19 turnovers and made only 20 of 30 free throws, two numbers that can tighten a game against a cleaner opponent. For the Knicks, the outline of a competitive performance was there in spots: they scored 42 points in the paint, made 26 of 29 free throws and briefly pushed the game to a one-possession margin in the third. But 25 per cent three-point shooting, a thin rebounding night and only five fast-break points left them with too little margin once Minnesota's shooters got comfortable.

Scoring moments

1st Quarter · 11:31
Anthony Edwards makes 18-foot pullup jump shot (LaMelo Ball assists)
1st Quarter · 10:27
Mikal Bridges makes 21-foot pullup jump shot
1st Quarter · 10:14
Jaden McDaniels makes 24-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
1st Quarter · 9:53
Jalen Brunson makes free throw 1 of 2
1st Quarter · 9:53
Jalen Brunson makes free throw 2 of 2
1st Quarter · 9:26
Josh Hart makes 11-foot two point shot
1st Quarter · 8:35
LaMelo Ball makes 23-foot three point jumper (Anthony Edwards assists)
1st Quarter · 8:34
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 1 of 1
1st Quarter · 8:16
Karl-Anthony Towns makes free throw 1 of 2
1st Quarter · 8:16
Karl-Anthony Towns makes free throw 2 of 2
1st Quarter · 7:57
Anthony Edwards makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jaden McDaniels assists)
1st Quarter · 7:41
Mikal Bridges makes free throw 1 of 2
1st Quarter · 7:41
Mikal Bridges makes free throw 2 of 2
1st Quarter · 7:22
Anthony Edwards makes 16-foot step back jumpshot
1st Quarter · 6:47
Rudy Gobert makes 7-foot hook shot (Jaden McDaniels assists)
1st Quarter · 6:10
Anthony Edwards makes 26-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
1st Quarter · 5:50
OG Anunoby makes 23-foot three point step back jumpshot (Karl-Anthony Towns assists)
1st Quarter · 4:54
Jalen Brunson makes 25-foot three point jumper (OG Anunoby assists)
1st Quarter · 4:41
Jaden McDaniels makes free throw 1 of 2
1st Quarter · 4:41
Jaden McDaniels makes free throw 2 of 2
1st Quarter · 3:53
Miles McBride makes 24-foot three point jumper (Josh Hart assists)
1st Quarter · 3:51
Jalen Brunson makes technical free throw
1st Quarter · 3:38
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 1 of 2
1st Quarter · 3:38
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 2 of 2
1st Quarter · 3:14
Ayo Dosunmu makes 25-foot running jump shot (Anthony Edwards assists)
1st Quarter · 2:30
Bones Hyland makes 1-foot running dunk (Anthony Edwards assists)
1st Quarter · 1:07
Joan Beringer makes free throw 2 of 2
1st Quarter · 50.6
Pacome Dadiet makes 24-foot three point jumper (Landry Shamet assists)
1st Quarter · 36.1
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 2 of 2
1st Quarter · 18.5
Andre Drummond makes 7-foot two point shot
2nd Quarter · 11:57
Jose Alvarado makes driving layup
2nd Quarter · 10:08
Jaden McDaniels makes layup (Rudy Gobert assists)
2nd Quarter · 9:43
Pacome Dadiet makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Quarter · 9:25
LaMelo Ball makes 8-foot pullup jump shot
2nd Quarter · 8:35
Pacome Dadiet makes 25-foot three point jumper (Tyler Kolek assists)
2nd Quarter · 8:14
Jaden McDaniels makes 23-foot three point jumper (Ayo Dosunmu assists)
2nd Quarter · 7:43
Jaden McDaniels makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot
2nd Quarter · 7:11
Jaden McDaniels makes 17-foot driving floating jump shot
2nd Quarter · 6:48
Jordan Clarkson makes 22-foot three point jumper (Tyler Kolek assists)
2nd Quarter · 6:18
OG Anunoby makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Quarter · 6:18
OG Anunoby makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Quarter · 5:52
Karl-Anthony Towns makes 28-foot three point jumper (Josh Hart assists)
2nd Quarter · 5:34
Jalen Brunson makes 11-foot turnaround jump shot
2nd Quarter · 4:36
Joan Beringer makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Quarter · 3:58
Bones Hyland makes two point shot
2nd Quarter · 3:46
Joan Beringer makes running layup (Bones Hyland assists)
2nd Quarter · 2:57
OG Anunoby makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Quarter · 2:57
OG Anunoby makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Quarter · 2:45
Anthony Edwards makes 25-foot three pointer (Bones Hyland assists)
2nd Quarter · 2:05
Jaden McDaniels makes 24-foot running pullup jump shot
2nd Quarter · 1:48
OG Anunoby makes 2-foot reverse layup (Karl-Anthony Towns assists)
2nd Quarter · 1:48
OG Anunoby makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Quarter · 1:08
Ayo Dosunmu makes 24-foot running pullup jump shot
2nd Quarter · 49.2
Jaden McDaniels makes running layup (Rudy Gobert assists)
2nd Quarter · 27.9
OG Anunoby makes 14-foot pullup jump shot (Karl-Anthony Towns assists)
2nd Quarter · 16.0
LaMelo Ball makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Quarter · 16.0
LaMelo Ball makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Quarter · 3.8
Jalen Brunson makes driving layup
2nd Quarter · 0.0
Anthony Edwards makes 36-foot three pointer (LaMelo Ball assists)
3rd Quarter · 11:25
Karl-Anthony Towns makes layup (Mikal Bridges assists)
3rd Quarter · 11:17
Cody Williams makes 23-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
3rd Quarter · 11:11
Karl-Anthony Towns makes finger roll layup (Josh Hart assists)
3rd Quarter · 10:53
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 2 of 2
3rd Quarter · 10:42
Jalen Brunson makes two point shot
3rd Quarter · 9:23
Jalen Brunson makes free throw 2 of 2
3rd Quarter · 9:05
LaMelo Ball makes 14-foot driving floating jump shot
3rd Quarter · 8:51
Jalen Brunson makes 17-foot pullup jump shot (Karl-Anthony Towns assists)
3rd Quarter · 8:51
Jalen Brunson makes free throw 1 of 1
3rd Quarter · 8:15
Mikal Bridges makes 10-foot running pullup jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists)
3rd Quarter · 7:50
Jaden McDaniels makes 26-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
3rd Quarter · 7:31
LaMelo Ball makes technical free throw
3rd Quarter · 7:30
Jalen Brunson makes free throw 1 of 2
3rd Quarter · 7:30
Jalen Brunson makes free throw 2 of 2
3rd Quarter · 7:11
Anthony Edwards makes 24-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
3rd Quarter · 6:57
Mikal Bridges makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jalen Brunson assists)
3rd Quarter · 6:17
Anthony Edwards makes 17-foot pullup jump shot (Rudy Gobert assists)
3rd Quarter · 6:03
Jalen Brunson makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot (Mikal Bridges assists)
3rd Quarter · 5:41
OG Anunoby makes 1-foot driving dunk (Jalen Brunson assists)
3rd Quarter · 5:41
OG Anunoby makes free throw 1 of 1
3rd Quarter · 5:24
Karl-Anthony Towns makes free throw 1 of 1
3rd Quarter · 5:24
Karl-Anthony Towns makes technical free throw
3rd Quarter · 4:49
Ayo Dosunmu makes 24-foot three point jumper (Trey Lyles assists)
3rd Quarter · 4:36
Andre Drummond makes free throw 1 of 2
3rd Quarter · 4:36
Andre Drummond makes free throw 2 of 2
3rd Quarter · 4:11
Bones Hyland makes driving layup
3rd Quarter · 3:39
Jaylen Clark makes 13-foot driving floating jump shot
3rd Quarter · 3:30
Landry Shamet makes free throw 1 of 2
3rd Quarter · 3:30
Landry Shamet makes free throw 2 of 2
3rd Quarter · 3:18
Trey Lyles makes 24-foot three point jumper (Ayo Dosunmu assists)
3rd Quarter · 2:48
Ayo Dosunmu makes free throw 1 of 2
3rd Quarter · 2:48
Ayo Dosunmu makes free throw 2 of 2
3rd Quarter · 1:54
Jordan Clarkson makes 8-foot fade away jump shot
3rd Quarter · 43.5
Joan Beringer makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter · 10:49
Jose Alvarado makes 16-foot step back jumpshot
4th Quarter · 10:36
Cody Williams makes 25-foot three point jumper (Isaiah Evans assists)
4th Quarter · 9:56
KJ Martin makes 25-foot three point jumper (Zyon Pullin assists)
4th Quarter · 9:37
Drew Eubanks makes alley oop dunk (Jose Alvarado assists)
4th Quarter · 9:15
Zyon Pullin makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot
4th Quarter · 8:52
Drew Eubanks makes 6-foot two point shot (Jose Alvarado assists)
4th Quarter · 8:36
KJ Martin makes 1-foot layup (Norchad Omier assists)
4th Quarter · 8:00
Norchad Omier makes two point shot
4th Quarter · 7:10
Zyon Pullin makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter · 7:00
Tyler Kolek makes 10-foot pullup jump shot
4th Quarter · 6:39
Isaiah Evans makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter · 6:18
Tony Bradley makes 1-foot reverse layup (Pacome Dadiet assists)
4th Quarter · 5:55
Antonio Reeves makes 4-foot driving floating jump shot
4th Quarter · 5:35
Zyon Pullin makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter · 5:20
Ochai Agbaji makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter · 5:20
Ochai Agbaji makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter · 5:07
Antonio Reeves makes 1-foot layup (Drew Timme assists)
4th Quarter · 4:44
Drew Timme makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter · 4:34
Kevin McCullar Jr. makes driving layup (Ochai Agbaji assists)
4th Quarter · 4:18
Drew Timme makes driving layup (Zyon Pullin assists)
4th Quarter · 3:50
Tony Bradley makes driving layup (Tyler Kolek assists)
4th Quarter · 3:40
Zyon Pullin makes 11-foot two point shot
4th Quarter · 3:03
Zyon Pullin makes 2-foot two point shot
4th Quarter · 2:35
Tony Bradley makes 2-foot two point shot (Kevin McCullar Jr. assists)
4th Quarter · 2:01
Antonio Reeves makes driving dunk
4th Quarter · 1:53
Tyler Kolek makes driving layup
4th Quarter · 1:17
KJ Martin makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter · 1:02
Tony Bradley makes 1-foot floating jump shot (Kevin McCullar Jr. assists)
4th Quarter · 47.5
Isaiah Evans makes 24-foot three point jumper (Zyon Pullin assists)
4th Quarter · 35.9
Tony Bradley makes 2-foot two point shot (Tyler Kolek assists)

Minnesota Timberwolves — Players

Player	MIN	PTS	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	TO	STL	BLK	OREB	DREB	PF	+/-
Jaden McDaniels	24	22	8-12	4-5	2-2	5	2	4	0	0	1	4	4	-1
Cody Williams	15	6	2-3	2-2	0-0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	3	+4
Rudy Gobert	22	2	1-2	0-0	0-0	3	3	1	1	1	1	2	1	+9
LaMelo Ball	22	10	3-7	1-3	3-3	3	7	5	0	1	1	2	2	-4
Anthony Edwards	25	26	8-16	5-8	5-7	3	3	2	1	0	0	3	3	+3
Trey Lyles	16	3	1-2	1-2	0-0	3	1	1	0	0	1	2	1	+6
Drew Timme	6	3	1-1	0-0	1-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	+1
KJ Martin	12	6	2-3	1-2	1-2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+8
Norchad Omier	6	2	1-2	0-0	0-0	4	1	0	0	0	3	1	2	+7
Isaiah Evans	12	4	1-3	1-2	1-2	2	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	+8
Joan Beringer	14	5	1-3	0-0	3-6	4	0	0	1	1	2	2	3	+1
Ayo Dosunmu	20	11	3-6	3-5	2-2	4	2	2	3	1	0	4	2	+13
Jaylen Clark	10	2	1-1	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	+6
Bones Hyland	14	6	3-9	0-3	0-0	2	2	1	0	0	1	1	1	+14
Antonio Reeves	11	6	3-4	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	+7
Zyon Pullin	12	8	3-4	0-1	2-4	3	3	0	3	0	1	2	0	+8

New York Knicks — Players

Player	MIN	PTS	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	TO	STL	BLK	OREB	DREB	PF	+/-
OG Anunoby	22	15	4-8	1-3	6-6	2	1	0	3	0	1	1	4	-4
Karl-Anthony Towns	22	11	3-6	1-4	4-4	2	4	3	1	0	2	0	1	-2
Josh Hart	22	2	1-2	0-1	0-0	3	3	2	1	0	1	2	0	-6
Mikal Bridges	22	9	3-6	1-2	2-2	2	2	1	0	0	0	2	2	-6
Jalen Brunson	22	20	6-13	1-4	7-8	5	3	2	3	0	0	5	1	-6
Drew Eubanks	7	4	2-3	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	-6
Pacome Dadiet	14	7	2-3	2-3	1-2	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	-7
Mohamed Diawara	13	0	0-1	0-1	0-0	3	0	3	0	0	1	2	3	-6
Andre Drummond	12	4	1-2	0-0	2-2	4	0	0	1	3	1	3	2	-9
Tony Bradley	7	10	5-5	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	-1
Jordan Clarkson	10	5	2-3	1-1	0-0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	3	-7
Landry Shamet	12	2	0-2	0-2	2-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	-5
Jose Alvarado	15	4	2-8	0-2	0-0	2	2	3	1	0	1	1	0	-7
Ochai Agbaji	10	2	0-3	0-3	2-2	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	-8
Kevin McCullar Jr.	7	2	1-2	0-1	0-0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	-1
Miles McBride	13	3	1-5	1-4	0-0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	-4
Tyler Kolek	12	4	2-5	0-1	0-1	0	4	2	0	0	0	0	1	-5

Minnesota Timberwolves — Team statistics

FG	42-78
Field Goal %	54
3PT	18-34
Three Point %	53
FT	20-30
Free Throw %	67
Rebounds	39
Offensive Rebounds	13
Defensive Rebounds	26
Assists	26
Steals	11
Blocks	5
Turnovers	19
Team Turnovers	1
Total Turnovers	20
Technical Fouls	2
Total Technical Fouls	2
Flagrant Fouls	0
Points Conceded Off Turnovers	15
Fast Break Points	16
Points in Paint	36
Fouls	24
Largest Lead	20
Lead Changes	2
Percent Led	95

New York Knicks — Team statistics

FG	35-77
Field Goal %	45
3PT	8-32
Three Point %	25
FT	26-29
Free Throw %	90
Rebounds	28
Offensive Rebounds	9
Defensive Rebounds	19
Assists	24
Steals	12
Blocks	5
Turnovers	19
Team Turnovers	0
Total Turnovers	19
Technical Fouls	2
Total Technical Fouls	2
Flagrant Fouls	0
Points Conceded Off Turnovers	24
Fast Break Points	5
Points in Paint	42
Fouls	24
Largest Lead	1
Lead Changes	2
Percent Led	2