NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau got a victory over his last team, though it went from looking easy to almost not at all.
Julius Randle had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and the New York Knicks recovered after blowing a 21-point lead and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-99 on Sunday night.
Thibodeau got the Timberwolves to a rare postseason spot and might do the same this season in New York, where the Knicks are 15-16 and entered play in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. They have won four of their last five games.
Randle made the go-ahead free throw with 32 seconds left and the Knicks held on in a game that seemed fully in their control when they led 86-65 late in the third quarter.
But Karl-Anthony Towns had a big fourth, finishing with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Minnesota outscored New York 28-16 in the final period.
Ricky Rubio scored 18 points for Minnesota. The Timberwolves have lost four straight and eight of nine.
“We’ve got to do better as players to find ways to win,” Towns said.
The Knicks hadn’t played since Wednesday, after their first postponement of the season Saturday because of coronavirus cases on the San Antonio Spurs.
They looked good after the layoff, taking a 61-50 lead at halftime. The lead hit 21 when Randle made two free throws with 1:48 remaining in the third.
Minnesota came all the way back to take a 96-95 lead on Towns’ basket with 2:45 remaining. They were still ahead until Towns fouled Randle on a drive, and after his two free throws, Towns missed a baseline jumper. Alec Burks made four free throws to close it out.
“Unfortunately we ran out of time,” Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders said. “I did like the two looks we got late in the game, but you dig yourselves holes you’ve got to do everything right when you’re down 21 to come out of here with a victory.”
Thibodeau’s 2 1/2 seasons with the Wolves included their lone playoff berth in the last 16 seasons when they went 47-35 in 2017-18. But the following season got off to a tumultuous start when Jimmy Butler wanted out and Thibodeau was fired around midseason.
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