No one on the Timberwolves doubted that all-star forward Kevin Garnett would play in Friday night's game against the New York Knicks.

Not with the team trying to get things back together before the playoffs.

Fortunately for Garnett, the Wolves took control early and cruised to a 98-77 victory, so he was able to rest during the fourth quarter.

"Everybody knows KG's a warrior," Wolves guard Chauncey Billups said. "If he can walk fast enough, he's going to play. We had no doubt he was going to play."

Garnett was injured in the third quarter of Minnesota's 113-111 victory over Dallas on Thursday night at Target Center when he leaped past Dallas reserve Wang Zhizhi to try to block his shot from the corner. Garnett went heels over head, breaking his fall with his right hand before his head bounced hard onto the floor. He lay stunned for several minutes in front of the Wolves' bench before slowly rising holding an ice bag to the crown of his head. He jogged off the court, then came back in the fourth quarter with a bandage covering 12 stitches on his scalp.

Before he left the game against the Knicks, Garnett scored 12 points and pulled down 15 rebounds for his 50th double-double of the season.