The Knicks lost 104-122 to Minnesota on Monday, their third straight preseason defeat. Anthony Edwards scored 13 points in just 11 minutes, and New York's regulars finished the night in the red across the board.
Minnesota Pulls Away
New York fell 104-122 to the Timberwolves on Monday night, its third straight preseason loss after October 5 at Philadelphia (97-120) and October 8 at home against Washington (109-111). The game stayed within range early — the Timberwolves' biggest lead was 9, the Knicks' biggest was 1, with two lead changes and one tie — before Minnesota took firm control.
Starters Barely Played
Preseason math kept everyone's minutes short. Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart all logged 9 minutes, Towns and OG Anunoby 7. The group that closed the first five minutes of the fourth quarter — Brunson, Hart, Towns, Bridges and Anunoby — had already given way to reserves by the final buzzer: Andre Drummond, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Pacome Dadiet were on the floor at the end.
Red Across The Board
Brunson, Bridges and Hart all finished at minus-6 in their nine minutes — the best and worst plus-minus marks on the night belonged to the same three names. Towns was minus-5 in seven minutes and missed both of his shots before hitting two free throws. Off the bench, McBride made a three in four minutes for three points; Shamet played two scoreless minutes.
Grading The Starters
Brunson gets the only clean line: 6 points on 1-for-3 shooting, a made three and 3-for-3 from the line in brief work. Towns gets marked down — 0-for-2 from the field is a quiet night regardless of the minutes. Bridges and Anunoby were efficient in limited touches, 4 points and 3 points apiece, but neither had the ball enough to matter against Anthony Edwards, who scored 13 points in 11 minutes and finished plus-8 to lead all scorers.
Back-To-Back At Toronto
None of this moves a race that hasn't started — the Knicks are still building toward the October 20 opener against Philadelphia. But the schedule tightens fast: New York plays at Toronto on Tuesday and hosts the Raptors again Thursday, two preseason games in four days before the games start counting.
Why did the Knicks' starters play so few minutes against Minnesota?
It was preseason rotation management — Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Towns and Anunoby all played single-digit minutes, with reserves closing the game once the Timberwolves pulled ahead.
Does the loss to Minnesota affect the Knicks' season outlook?
No — New York is 0-3 in preseason only, and the games that count start October 20 against Philadelphia.
