Julius Randle’s return to MSG was quiet but his star teammate was loud.
Anthony Edwards dominated the struggling Knicks, who were again outplayed in the fourth quarter and lost handily, 116-99.
The Knicks (27-16) have dropped six of their past nine, losing all their momentum after a strong December.
They get a two-day break before Trae Young returns to MSG for the first time since the dice roll.
Edwards dropped 36 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists, as the Timberwolves carved up Tom Thibodeau’s Swiss cheese defense while hitting 22 3-pointers on a ridiculous 56 percent.
The Knicks, meanwhile, were inefficient offensively without Karl-Anthony Towns, who sat in street clothes — though not in Eagles gear this time — while nursing a sprained thumb. Jalen Brunson scored 26 points but shot just 9-for-23 with five assists. No other Knick had 20 points.
Jericho Sims started at center for New York and went scoreless in 18 minutes.
Randle, playing as an opponent at MSG for the first time since 2018, deferred to Edwards and took just six shots, finishing with eight points, seven rebounds and six assists.
For Randle, it was a long-awaited return to the Garden floor.
His previous game as a Knick at MSG was almost a year ago, when he dislocated his shoulder after tumbling over the Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Randle subsequently attempted to return without surgery but suffered a setback and was traded on the eve of training camp.
The other former Knick — Donte DiVincenzo — was ruled out with a sprained toe sustained two nights earlier against the Warriors.
Randle received a nice ovation during introductions, but the biggest cheers Friday night were for a fan who buried a half-court shot to win a SUV.
There was another injury scare for the Knicks in the third quarter, when Josh Hart collided with Sims under the basket.
Hart was clutching his shoulder in clear pain and darted to the locker room, but quickly re-emerged and was subbed back in.
Hart finished with 12 points but shot just 3-for-12 with three turnovers.
The Timberwolves (22-19) have struggled this season but carry the talent for a contender, especially when Edwards is producing at a megastar level like Friday.
The Knicks? They continue to have problems on defense and during fourth quarters, their worst quarter statistically, by far.
