MINNEAPOLIS — Who needs Love?
The Knicks didn’t need Kevin Love Wednesday night, as Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler were just fine as they showed rare pride in whipping the Timberwolves, 118-106, at Target Center to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Indeed, it seemed like a Miracle in Minnesota with the Knicks showing resilience in holding off the Timberwolves in the fourth quarter as their expensive Big 3 finally looked the part.
The Knicks stomped on the Timberwolves from the get-go and, after getting their 17-point first-half lead cut to two after three quarters, they didn’t fold as per custom. The Knicks started the fourth on a 17-4 run to improve record to 22-40 — 5¹/₂ games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a soft schedule ahead.
“When they made their run, we didn’t buckle,” said embattled Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who picked up his 300th career NBA win. “We made defensive stops and offensive shots. As I told them this morning, until someone tells us we aren’t making the playoffs and have no shot at it, we got to keep playing. Stranger things have happened.”
Anthony racked up 33 points on 14-of-27 shooting. After hitting a pull-up midway through the fourth to put the Knicks up 15, he glared at the Minnesota bench. The swagger was back — for one night.
“I think it was more backs being against the wall,’’ Anthony said. “Coming out fighting and really focusing in on basketball, not worrying about making shots or not. You saw that from the jump ball.
“We looked like a team out there today. Hopefully this win can spark something.’’
Meanwhile, Love, the Knicks’ 2015 free-agent target who averaged 32 points and 20.5 rebounds in his previous four meetings against them, was way off his game — weak on defense and scoring just 19 points with eight rebounds. He shot 6-of-17, making just 3-of-10 from 3-point range.
“We played Love about as well as anyone has played against him this season,” Woodson said.
The Knicks also contained burly Nikola Pekovic (17 points, eight rebounds) who usually causes problems for them inside.
“We knew the key to our success was keeping those guys off the glass,’’ Chandler said.
Anthony and his starting frontcourt mates of Stoudemire and Chandler combined for 66 points. Stoudemire, starting his second straight game and third of the season, racked up 18 points and eight rebounds. Chandler, who has taken heat during the losing streak, was a force with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
All five starters hit well into double-figures. It also was a bounce-back night for embattled point guard Raymond Felton, whose massive shooting slump since last week’s gun-charge arrest ended with a controlled 18-point, eight-assist night, making 5-of-8 shots.
“That’s the Raymond we were used to seeing last season,’’ Woodson said. “I thought tonight he played his best game of the year for us, running the team, making shots.’’
Late in the third, Anthony turned the ball over on a fast break and missed the rim on a 3-pointer as the Timberwolves got within 88-86 after three quarters. It looked all too familiar.
But the Knicks scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to go up 94-86 on baskets by Anthony, Stoudemire and a fastbreak coast-to-coast layup for Felton. A Tim Hardaway Jr. corner 3-pointer drove the lead up to 99-88 with 8:30 left.
“We stayed composed,’’ Anthony said. “Normally in the past, we were crumbling when teams made a run. Tonight we kept our foot on the gas.’’
The Knicks raced to a 9-0 lead, en route to a 38-24 bulge after one quarter as they were scorching from the field (15-for-27). The 38 points tied a first-quarter season high, and they finished shooting 52.2 percent.
“It feels great to get a win — something we can build off,’’ Chandler said. “We really wanted this win and really stuck to our game plan.’’