Friday’s matchup between the Timberwolves and Knicks lost a healthy dose of its intrigue just before the game when Karl-Anthony Towns, who came in as a game-time decision because of a thumb injury, sat out his second consecutive game.

Anthony Edwards had 36 points, a season-high 13 rebounds and seven assists, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 116-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

Anthony Edwards struggled mightily through the opening six minutes of the first quarter on Friday in New York. He looked entirely out of rhythm, missing his first six shot attempts. Then he shifted gears and started aiming to get others involved,

The Knicks’ defensive shell is broken. Rotations are slow — or sometimes nonexistent. As a result, games that start as competitive contests often devolve into target practice for opponents. The issue runs deeper than just late closeouts.