The uniforms were the same and the court was the same, but nothing about the Knicks at the Garden was how Derrick Rose remembered them. Gone was Carmelo Anthony. Gone was Kristaps Porzingis. Gone was Phil Jackson.

A lot can change in two years.

“I think everybody was kind of surprised and devastated [about those trades], but you know this is a business before anything,” Rose, now a Timberwolves reserve guard, said after his first game at the Garden since he played for the Knicks. “Things can change pretty quickly. They’re in the process of changing things here, and I wish them nothing but the best.”

A lot has changed for Rose, too. After injuries limited him to 25 games a year ago, he found a home with Minnesota, a place that seems to suit him well. He’s enjoying a rebirth this season, averaging 18.2 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting, along with 4.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds. Rose continued to thrive Friday, scoring 20 points off the bench in the Timberwolves’ 115-104 victory over the Knicks, which handed them their 18th consecutive home loss.

“It’s great, it’s always great playing here,” the three-time All-Star said. “The fans are great here, and I know it felt good just being back in the league and playing the way I normally play, playing with that aggression.”

His one year with the Knicks didn’t work out as he imagined. In July 2016, Rose called the Knicks a “super team,” a description that fell flat. They won just 31 games. He missed most of the preseason while dealing with sexual assault charges, mysteriously went missing for a game as he thought about retiring, and tore the meniscus in his left knee in April, ending his season and eventually his time with the Knicks. But he insisted there wasn’t a revenge factor Friday.

“I just wanted to win. It wasn’t about how I got let go or me playing here,” he said. “I just love the stage playing here, and I’m just trying to win a game. We’re on the road and we’re desperate for wins right now.”

At the age of 30, Rose has appeared in 42 of a possible 58 games, and is a key part of a team looking to work its way into the playoff race. He isn’t the same player that won the MVP award with the Bulls in 2011, but that explosion and finishing ability he lacked in previous seasons at least is reminiscent of his prime years. He even put up a career-high 50 points in a game this year.

“It’s been great. I’m back,” Rose said. “I’ve been healthy for the majority of the year. I’m just trying to figure out things along the way.”

Clearly, so are the Knicks. Their former point guard just seems to be making more progress.