There were a handful of defensive possessions in the Knicks’ 116-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday where the shell remained intact, the defense was sound, and Wolves shooters made

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) shoots at the basket as Boston Celtics forwards Xavier Tillman (26) and Jayson Tatum (0) defend in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) AP

The New York Knicks took a risk by trading Julius Randle after all he'd contributed. Unfortunately, it's looking like it was the right decision.

Randle played a secondary role in the Timberwolves’ 116-99 win, taking a backseat in the spotlight as Anthony Edwards dazzled with 36 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Randle believed in the Knicks and their potential when almost no one else in the NBA did. When Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and almost every other free agent took a hard pass on the Knicks, Randle risked coming to a franchise that had just finished a 17-65 season and had gone six straight years without making the playoffs.

Brunson scored 38 points and took control in overtime, while Hart recorded a triple-double and Bridges scored 23 points in the city where they became college stars.

It’ll represent the durable DiVincenzo’s first DNP of the season for the T’wolves and puts a damper on an anticipated matchup between offseason trade partners.

When Julius Randle signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2019, he joined a team that had just suffered its sixth consecutive losing season. The Knicks were fresh off of a 17-win campaign that matched the worst season in franchise history.

The two Timberwolves, who were instrumental in last season's Knicks success, return to the Garden Friday night, but DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain.

Anthony Edwards dominated the struggling Knicks, who were again outplayed in the fourth quarter, again barraged by 3-pointers and again lost handily, 116-99, Friday night to the Timberwolves.

Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with a strong 26 points, but his 9-23 shooting was a microcosm of the team's struggles all day. The Knicks shot 38% from the field as a team with only Cameron Payne (18 points off the bench) shooting over 50% from the field for the game.