MINNEAPOLIS - The New York Knicks overcame a career night from Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns to take down the Timberwolves 106-104 on Wednesday night at Target Center.
Carmelo Anthony hit the game-winning jumper with 2.3 seconds remaining as the Knicks fended off a furious fourth-quarter comeback by the Wolves. Minnesota tied the game with 24.2 seconds to play before Anthony’s jumper over Andrew Wiggins.
Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis scored 29 points and point guard Brandon Jennings provided a spark off the bench with 12 points and seven assists. Anthony and Mindaugas Kuzinskas each added 14 points.
Towns posted a career-high 47 points in Wednesday’s loss, becoming the youngest player in team history to score 40 points. The second-year center surpassed his previous high of 35 points with a basket late in the third quarter. He also had 18 rebounds as his effort was squandered in the loss.
New York (9-9) led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter before Minnesota was able to tie it at 102 on a 3-pointer by guard Zach LaVine, who was 0-for-4 from long range before that shot. After a basket by Porzingis, the Wolves tied it again on two free throws by Towns.
Minnesota had one last chance after Anthony’s jumper but couldn’t get the ball inbounds out of a timeout as the Wolves fell to 5-13.
Towns scored 22 points in the first quarter in which he was 8-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Whenever Minnesota attempted to claw its way back through the first three quarters, New York seemed to have an answer. After Towns scored late in the third to cut the Knicks’ lead to 78-74, Jennings responded on New York’s next possession with a 3-pointer to stretch the lead again.
New York used several more 3-pointers to keep Minnesota at bay. Kuzminskas hit a wide-open shot to extend the Knicks’ edge to 91-78 midway through the fourth quarter. Porzingis later hit his third 3-pointer of the night to put New York up by 16.
That deficit was ultimately too much for the young Timberwolves.
New York 28 30 23 25 - 106
Minnesota 31 18 25 30 - 104
NEW YORK (106)
Porzingis 11-20 4-5 29, Anthony 5-16 3-4 14, Rose 5-12 0-0 11, O’Quinn 1-2 0-1 2, C.Lee 3-3 0-0 7, Jennings 5-14 0-0 12, Kuzminskas 5-9 0-0 14, Ju.Holiday 1-8 0-0 2, Mr.Plumlee 1-1 2-3 4, Vujacic 2-4 0-0 5, W.Hernangomez 2-2 2-2 6, Ndour 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 41-91 11-15 106.
MINNESOTA (104)
LaVine 5-13 6-6 17, Towns 15-22 17-20 47, Wiggins 8-20 0-1 19, Rubio 2-5 4-4 8, Dieng 2-6 4-6 8, Bjelica 0-5 0-0 0, Dunn 0-1 0-0 0, Muhammad 1-4 1-2 3, Ty.Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Aldrich 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 34-77 32-39 104.
3-Point Goals: New York 13-32 (Kuzminskas 4-5, Porzingis 3-7, Jennings 2-5, C.Lee 1-1, Vujacic 1-2, Rose 1-3, Anthony 1-6, Ju.Holiday 0-3), Minnesota 4-19 (Wiggins 3-4, LaVine 1-5, Dunn 0-1, Rubio 0-2, Towns 0-3, Bjelica 0-4). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: New York 50 (O’Quinn, Porzingis 8), Minnesota 54 (Towns 18). Assists: New York 24 (Jennings 7), Minnesota 17 (Rubio 6). Total Fouls: New York 26 (O’Quinn, Porzingis, Rose 4), Minnesota 17 (Dieng 4). A-13,987.
