Minnesota handled its NBA Preseason trip to Madison Square Garden with a clean 122-104 win over New York. The Timberwolves controlled the night from tip to buzzer, leading for 45 minutes and building a cushion that kept the home crowd quiet. Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 26, while Jaden McDaniels added 22 as Minnesota’s wings set the tone. Jalen Brunson topped the Knicks with 20 in front of 19,812 fans, the full house at MSG. The box score on Sofascore shows why the result rarely looked in doubt.

Perimeter shooting flips the math

The three-point line decided this one. Minnesota drilled 18 of 34 from deep, a sharp 52 percent that stretched New York’s defense all night. The Knicks went 8 of 32 from three for 25 percent, so they left 30 points on the table in that head-to-head. Edwards hit 5 of 8 from long range and McDaniels went 4 of 5, which forced New York to help and opened driving lanes. When your opponent splashes 10 more triples, the scoreboard tilts fast.

New York did find points at the stripe, finishing 26 of 29 on free throws for 89 percent. Minnesota countered with 20 of 30 for 66 percent, so that was a rare area the Knicks won. Inside the arc, New York actually shot 60 percent on twos compared with 54 percent for the Wolves. But the visitors stayed even on total field goals in the third and then won the fourth with more timely threes. The overall field goal split ended 53 percent to 45 percent in favor of Minnesota, and that efficiency edge paired with volume from deep was the game’s headline stat.

Glass work and extra chances tell the rest

The Timberwolves also owned the boards 39-28. That 11-rebound margin included a 13-9 win on the offensive glass, which meant second chances and more threes in rhythm. Rudy Gobert’s line was modest in scoring, but he posted a team-best +9 plus-minus with three rebounds and a block as Minnesota stabilized the paint. Trey Lyles and Joan Beringer helped on the glass as well, giving Minnesota fresh possessions when the Knicks looked ready to close gaps.

Both teams finished with 19 turnovers, so extra points did not come from giveaways. Steals were close too, 12 for New York and 11 for Minnesota, but the Wolves turned their takeaways into transition threes rather than twos. Assists leaned Minnesota 26-24, a small but steady indicator of ball movement and shot quality. New York blocked five shots to match Minnesota’s five, yet those stops did not flip momentum because the Wolves kept spacing the floor. The stat picture on Sofascore makes it simple: Minnesota paired more rebounds with higher-value shots, and that combination travels.

How the game flowed by quarters

Minnesota set the tone immediately with a 30-25 first quarter, fueled by 5 of 9 from three and an early 9-point lead. The second quarter widened the gap, 32-25, as the Wolves shot 75 percent from the field and went into halftime up 62-50. New York’s best punch came in the third with a 30-28 frame behind 11 of 12 free throws and 61 percent on twos. Even then, Minnesota still exited the period ahead 90-80 thanks to another five made threes.

The fourth was the closer, and the Wolves finished it 32-24. New York shot 78 percent on twos in the final period but went 0 for 6 from deep, which stalled every mini-run. Minnesota kept its shape, added three more threes, and won the quarter on 63 percent shooting. The visitors’ biggest lead reached 20, and the Knicks were only ahead for 51 seconds all night. On Sofascore’s timeline, the possession graph barely budged away from Minnesota’s side.

Star turns and the supporting cast

Edwards’ 26 points came on 8 of 16 shooting with five triples and five made free throws. McDaniels was almost as efficient with 22 on 8 of 12, including 4 of 5 from deep and five rebounds. LaMelo Ball added 10 points and seven assists to steer the offense, even while turning it over five times as he tested preseason reads. Ayo Dosunmu added 11 points with three threes, plus four boards, three steals and a block from the bench. Zyon Pullin supplied a tidy all-around shift at guard with eight points, three assists and three steals, while Bones Hyland and KJ Martin chipped in six apiece. Gobert’s counting stats were lean, yet his screens, rim deterrence and a block mattered within Minnesota’s 26 assists and 42 made field goals.

For New York, Brunson posted 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, hitting 7 of 8 at the line. OG Anunoby had 15 with a perfect 6 of 6 on free throws and three steals, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 11 points, four assists and two offensive boards. Mikal Bridges scored nine and moved the ball well, and Josh Hart contributed three assists and three rebounds. The bench had a bright spot in Tony Bradley, who went 5 for 5 for 10 points in limited minutes. Andre Drummond blocked three shots and grabbed four rebounds, but New York’s perimeter group struggled to connect, combining for 8 threes total on 32 attempts. When the Knicks needed late triples, the shots just did not fall.

What this says in preseason terms

Context matters in October. Rotations are fluid, combinations are experimental, and coaches are more interested in reps than results. Even so, the themes are useful for both teams. For Minnesota, the spacing and volume shooting looked game-ready, and the rebounding edge supported a fast, confident shot profile. Their 18 threes, 26 assists and 39 rebounds form a clear preseason checklist that should carry into the real thing.

For New York, two areas jump off the page: contesting the arc and cleaning the glass. The Knicks hit an elite rate at the stripe and scored efficiently inside the arc, so the base offense is healthy. The gap came from long-range shot creation and securing stops with rebounds. Expect tweaks to perimeter coverage and more emphasis on second-chance prevention in the next outing. You can track those adjustments, minute patterns, and all advanced box score splits live on Sofascore, where shot charts and play-by-play put nights like this into focus.