The Knicks’ usually dependable defensive principles betrayed them for much of the game Monday night against an undermanned opponent.
It didn’t even matter in the end that Julius Randle absolutely could not be stopped at the other end.
The All-Star forward poured in a career-high 57 points, but the Knicks allowed 79 in the first half and ultimately fell short in halting their three-game winning streak with a 140-134 loss to the Timberwolves at the Garden.
Randle became the first Knicks player to score 50 since Carmelo Anthony pumped in a franchise-record and MSG-mark 62 in January 2014. That also was the most recent time a Knicks player scored at least 50 in a game. Randle had equaled his previous career-best scoring output with 46 points against the Wizards in February.
Jalen Brunson scored 23 points in his second appearance since returning to the lineup Saturday after missing 5 ½ of the previous six games with a bruised left foot.
Immanuel Quickley added 19 points and RJ Barrett had 13, but Tom Thibodeau’s crew fell to 12-4 since Josh Hart (10 points) joined the lineup in a trade-deadline deal with Portland.
Taurean Prince scored 35 points and Mike Conley added 24 for the banged-up Timberwolves, who were without their best two players — Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) and Anthony Edwards (ankle) — due to injuries.
The fifth-place Knicks (42-31) are now three games behind No. 4 Cleveland and two ahead of the No. 6 Nets entering a two-game Florida swing that opens Wednesday in Miami.
The undermanned Timberwolves incredibly made their first 10 shots from the floor and their first five attempts from 3-point distance to grab a 28-21 lead just past the midway point of the opening quarter. The Knicks remained close due to a strong start from Barrett, who had seven early points and a couple of 3s by Randle.
Minnesota extended its cushion to as many as 15 in the quarter, with Rudy Gobert netting eight straight inside points over a nearly three-minute stretch. Randle finished the quarter with 13, including a late rim-rocking dunk, as the Knicks cut their deficit to 42-32 entering the second. The Timberwolves finished the first period at nearly 73 percent from the floor, hitting 16 of 22 shots.
The Knicks drew as close as eight in the second quarter, with Randle finishing the half with 26 points on 8-for-14 shooting and 7 of 8 from the free-throw stripe.
Still, Prince netted 20 and Conley added 13 for a 79-70 Minnesota lead at intermission. The Wolves connected on 10 of 13 attempts from deep (.714) and were shooting 71.1 percent overall (32-for-45) entering the third quarter.
The break didn’t initially cool off the Timberwolves, who pushed their advantage to 16 with a 9-2 run to open the third. But consecutive treys by Brunson and Randle — and a breakaway dunk by the latter — helped close the gap to 92-85 four minutes into the period.
Randle positively took over the game with 26 points in the quarter, reaching 40 on two more free throws with 6:58 to go. He got to 48 to exceed his previous career-best and then surpassed 50 for the first time with consecutive long-range buckets for a 101-101 game with three minutes remaining.
Randle added a free throw in the closing seconds, as MVP chants rained down on him from the MSG crowd, but the Knicks trailed 109-108 entering the final period.
With Randle rested to open the fourth, a driving layup by Hart and a swished corner trey by Barrett provided the Knicks with a 115-111 advantage.
Barrett and the second unit maintained the lead until Brunson and Randle returned with 7:29 remaining, but Jaden McDaniels tied it from beyond the arc with three minutes left.
Conley’s three free throws put Minnesota up by one less than a minute later and Prince knocked down a left-side triple to contribute to a 137-131 game at 1:27.
Randle’s converted three-point play got the Knicks back within one possession again, but he was whistled for a technical foul following Prince’s driving bucket before Conley sealed it at the stripe.
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