MINNEAPOLIS – Julius Randle tried to hijack Karl-Anthony Towns’ big night but failed miserably.

With revenge clearly on his mind and a determined look on his face, Randle came out aggressive and angry, dropping 15 points in the first quarter.

But his start was more than just a blast, as the Knicks, behind an emotional and effective performance from Towns, dominated the final three quarters of a 133-107 loss.

On Thursday night and in the first third of this season, the Knicks (17-10) won the trade.

A true statistician, Towns cemented his status as an East All-Star starter with 32 points on 10 of 12 shooting, 20 balls and six assists.

The other Knicks newcomer, Mikal Bridges, added 29 points on 12 of 18 from the field.

The Knicks led by at least 20 points heading into the final 31 minutes when Tom Thibodeau, extremely uncomfortable with large leads, vacated his bench with nine minutes left.

It was Randle’s first game against the Knicks since his contract extension talks fell through and he was sent to the Timberwolves for Towns.

A day earlier, Randle playfully blocked questions about the game against his former team, an interview that, if nothing else, demonstrated his desire to part ways with the Knicks despite five seasons with the franchise.

Then on Thursday, Randle began making powerful moves and an angry scream from the Knicks’ bench that followed his three-pointer.

He grooved.

But everything changed in the second quarter.

OG Anunoby turned on Randle, which led to some turnovers and some ugly possessions for the Timberwolves.

The Knicks’ offense got into overdrive and went on a 37-8 run to take full control.

Minnesota’s best defense in the second quarter came thanks to arena security tackling two women in neon-colored cheerleading outfits who tried to run across the field.

One didn’t get past the first sideline.

Both were quickly arrested.

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The half ended with the Knicks leading by 22 points and boos from the home crowd against the Timberwolves (14-12).

Randle finished the game with 24 points, but only nine of three from nine shots after the first quarter.

After the defeat, he immediately ran to the locker room and skipped the post-game ritual of shaking hands and hugging his opponent.

The Knicks played without Josh Hart, who was away from the team at Target Center for personal reasons.

Instead, they started Precious Achiuwa (13 points, 10 rebounds) at power forward and inserted Jericho Sims (18 minutes, six points) back into the reserve rotation.

It was the first missed game of the season for any of the regular wingers – Hart, Bridges and Anunoby.

Still, the Knicks didn’t miss a beat.

They shot 51.5 percent, including 44.4 percent from distance.

Jalen Brunson struggled with his high standards – he scored 14 points with seven assists – but the Knicks didn’t need him.

Donte DiVincenzo, the other former Knick involved in the Towns trade, was a non-factor with 15 points in 25 minutes, and his status in Minnesota was such that he played garbage the entire time.

For Towns, the night was one long lovefest in Winterland.

The center returned to snowy Minnesota Thursday night for two video tributes — one before kickoff, another during the game — as Towns gushed about the “warm feeling” of returning to Target Center.

“I was here for nine years. That’s a long time. I called this place home,” Towns said. “Being here again and being able to sleep in my house again was really a nostalgic feeling.”

Towns, who spent nine seasons with the Timberwolves after being drafted first overall in 2015, was appropriately greeted with six inches of snowfall but dismissed the idea that he would have difficulty commuting to the morning shootaround.

“That’s a New York question. That’s not a Minnesota question,” Towns laughed. “Light up. I won’t answer that.”

“I just wanted to do my best with the NBA jersey I put on, but most of all I wanted to do my best here in the Timberwolves jersey,” Towns added. “This place has given my family so much, not even financially, but in terms of life, the experiences we’ve been able to have because of the organization and the things we’ve been able to accomplish here.” Those are things that you can never discredit those you can never love. I continue to see Minnesota as my home.”

It was a very different vibe than Randle, who came out with an ax to grind and left with a dull blade.

Towns went into his ninth anniversary in Minnesota with a win and a celebration.