Exactly a year prior to his long-awaited MSG return, the highest mark of Julius Randle’s tenure was taking shape.

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.

It sucks,” Randle said. “I guess we’ll never know what could’ve been. I think the more unfortunate part is everything was a build, a constant build — I feel like all our teams overachieved year

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.

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.

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle made his anticipated return to Madison Square Garden on Friday and reflected on his impactful five-year tenure with the Knicks.

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 Minnesota Timberwolves got back in the win column on Friday night with a 116-99 victory over a New York Knicks team that was without Karl-Anthony Towns.

A New York Knicks fan had the night of a lifetime, winning a car during a shooting contest. Actor Ben Stiller was there to congratulate him.

Minnesota is 22-19 on the season. They play Cleveland tonight at Target Center. The Cavaliers are an NBA-best 34-6 on the season.