Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles as RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden on January 18, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - Minnesota faced a familiar foe in former Timberwolves and current New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau Tuesday as they were able to hold close in a tight battle to secure a 112-110 win over the Knicks on the first night of a back-to-back.
A coach who prides himself on both defensive effort and scheme, Thibodeau must have taken note of the Wolves' 10 steals, as well as his own team’s 18 turnovers that helped secure the win for Minnesota.
Minnesota’s "big three" combined for 58 points, led by Anthony Edwards with 21. Karl-Anthony Towns added 20, and D’Angelo Russell had 17.
Intense defense was prevalent early at Madison Square Garden, propelling the Timberwolves to an early lead before the half. The Knicks used an 18-4 run near the end of the third quarter to turn the tide and make it a tight game. The Timberwolves never got behind by more than nine points, and got momentum from a thunderous fast break dunk by Jaden McDaniels,
A Russel 3-pointer brought the Timberwolves back to a tie early in the fourth quarter. Despite numerous close contests down to the wire and a near turnover by Russell on an in-bounds pass at the end, Minnesota was pleased to give Thibodeau his 300th career loss.
In post-game press conferences, numerous players expressed pleasure with their ability to finish a close game on the road with a win. Jaylen Nowell scored nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, and had Towns calling him "Sixth Man of the Year" after the win.
The Timberwolves are now back to .500 at 22-22 and play Wednesday in Atlanta, facing a Hawks team that has a record of 18-25. The Timberwolves could get over .500 for the first time since Nov. 29, 2021.