The Minnesota Timberwolves play host to the Houston Rockets in this regular season finale.  If the Wolves lose tonight, they will secure the worst record over the Cleveland Cavaliers and gain the most ping-pong balls in this year’s NBA Draft Lottery.  Looking ahead, potential lottery picks such as Duke’s Kyrie Irivng, Arizona’s Derrick Williams or North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes can all be potential building blocks for this Wolves franchise.  What the wolves do need; however, is a player that can be a leader for this team.  Kevin Love is a great player for this franchise but I still think they need a superstar or an upgrade in the backcourt, especially at the point guard position since Luke Ridnour or Johnny Flynn are not the solutions to the Wolves problems.  Whether it comes from the draft, free agency or trade, the Wolves need someone to raise the level of play of Love, Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson and help stabilize the immaturity and youth on this team.

            The first half was pretty atrocious for the Wolves.  As a team, they shot 40% from the field and looked like a team that was ready for this season to end.  At the half, they were losing 69-52 to the Rockets, who were led by forward Chase Budinger’s 19 points.  Wolves Anthony Randolph led Minnesota with 11 points off the bench and Wolves Center Nikola Pekovic had 10 points, all in the first quarter.

            In the second half, the Rockets extended their lead to 21 but Beasley’s 20-foot jumper capped off a 19-2 run to cut the lead to 86-83.  Beasley scored 17 of his 25 points in the third quarter to lead a furious Wolves comeback.  Luke Ridnour’s nifty feed to a cutting Randolph for a lay-up cut the lead to 90-89 right before the third quarter buzzer. Beasley scored 17 of his 25 points

            Beasley continued to impress in the fourth quarter but the Rockets continued to maintain their lead.  Budinger’s backdoor cut for a three-point play gave the Rockets a 114-102 lead with 4 minutes to play and proved to be the difference.  The Rockets defeated the Wolves, 121-102. 

            Budinger led all scorers with 35 points.  Rockets guard Goran Dragic had a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.  Beasley’s 34 points and 7 rebounds led the Wolves.  Randolph came off the bench to score 23 points on 11-17 shooting from the floor.

            It was another disappointing loss in another overall disappointing season.  The one shining moment of the Wolves season would have to be All-Star forward Kevin Love.  He had an absolutely amazing season and should win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.  Unfortunately, basketball is still a team sport and you are ultimately judged by wins and losses.  I guess if you have the worst record in the league, it cannot get any worse.

So now the off-season begins for these Wolves.  Hopefully, GM David Kahn will have a plan that will start making these Wolves into a contender.  What the Wolves need is a little luck on their side and hopefully, with all of the extra ping-pong balls they acquired by losing their last two games, they will gain the overall #1 pick for the 2011 NBA Draft and find that franchise player that they are sorely needing.

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Phoenix tonight to face Steve Nash and the Suns.  The Suns have won 18 of their last 23 meetings against the Wolves.  The Wolves are trying to put an end to a 13 game losing streak on the road without All-Star Kevin Love, who will miss the final two games of the regular season.  The Wolves are currently tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers with the worst record and after Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets where they surrendered a franchise record 19 three-pointers, including 10 straight three pointers from former Wolves draft pick (who was later traded to the Nuggets on Draft Night) Ty Lawson; it would not surprise me to see them end up with the worst record in the NBA.

            The Wolves got off to a fast start in the first quarter; shooting 55% from the field to take an early 36-28 lead.  Wolves guard Luke Ridnour paced the Wolves with eight points on 4-4 shooting, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. 

            Wolves forward Anthony Randolph’s one handed throw down gave the Wolves a 43-40 lead with six minutes to play in the second quarter.  Randolph has been playing well of late; averaging 17 points a game in the last three contests.  A three pointer by suns forward Channing Frye cut the Suns deficit to 56-53 with 2:20 left in the half.  Wolves reserve Anthony Tolliver’s tip in at the buzzer gave the Wolves a 65-58 lead at the half.  Tolliver leads the Wolves with 16 points on 7-7 shooting.

            Frye’s sixth three pointer of the night cut the Wolves lead to 81-77 in the third quarter.  Wolves rookie Wesley Johnson’s 15 foot jump shot gave the Wolves a 91-87 lead but the Suns came storming back behind a 10-3 run led by forward Jared Dudley, who hit a pair of three pointers and a pair of lay-ups in the last two minutes of the quarter to tie the game 92-92 heading into the fourth quarter.

            In the fourth quarter, Wolves Michael Beasley got hot scoring 10 points early in the quarter, helping the Wolves sustain their lead 104-100 with 6 minutes left in the game.  But the Suns answered with a pair of Frye three pointers to give the Suns a 111-108 lead.  Beasley and Frye continued to trade baskets as the lead changed hands several times between the two teams.  Wolves Martell Webster’s clutch three pointer from the corner gave the Wolves a 119-118 lead with 38.4 seconds to play but All-World Point Guard Steve Nash answered with a three-pointer of his own to give the Suns back the lead 121-119 with 27.3 seconds.  It was Nash’s third field goal attempt of the night, as he was mostly setting up teammates with 15 assists for the game.  Beasley’s isolation and dribble drive basket tied up the score at 121-121 but Beasley missed his free throw to give the Suns one last attempt.  Suns Grant Hill missed a point blank shot off the glass to send the game into overtime.       

            Frye’s ninth three pointer in overtime gave the Suns a 126-124 lead with 2 minutes to play and Dudley’s fifth three pointer with a minute left put the game away for good, as the Suns defeated the Wolves in overtime, 135-127. 

            After surrendering 19 three-pointers to the Nuggets last Saturday, the Wolves gave up 18 three-pointers to the Suns tonight.  The Suns were led by Frye’s 33 points and 9 three pointers.  Beasley had 26 points and 6 rebounds for the Wolves.

The Phoenix Suns travel to Minnesota tonight to face the Timberwolves.  The Wolves are looking to break an 11-game losing streak against the Suns.  With the Cleveland Cavaliers victory against the Charlotte Bobcats last night, the Wolves are unfortunately one game away from being the worst team in the league.  It has been a very disappointing season for the team.  Hopefully, with an outstanding draft, big improvement this off-season from Wesley Johnson, Kevin Love and Beasley, and Ricky Rubio possibly coming over next year; the Wolves can start to turn things around and hope to be a playoff contender in the next 2-3 years. 

            Wolves forward Michael Beasley had a nice first quarter with ten points and four rebounds.  Unfortunately, the Suns still led after one quarter 26-23.      

In the second quarter, it was more like a pickup YMCA game, where not much defense was being played.  On four consecutive possessions, Suns guard Aaron Brooks and Wolves guard Johnny Flynn alternated shots, playing a little game of “Can you top this?”  Suns forward Vince Carter had a nice reverse spin in the lane then rose up for a two handed slam dunk over two Timberwolves defenders to help the Suns increase their lead to 11 points.  The dunk was reminiscent of the V.C. of old.  Wolves forward Martell Webster’s three pointer from the corner helped cut the deficit to 56-53 before the halftime buzzer.

Wolves’ guard Luke Ridnour’s three point shot tied the score at 64-64 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter.  But the ageless Grant Hill answered with a three point shot and a three point play to extend the lead to 70-66.  Grant Hill, a free agent this off-season, would be a great addition to the Wolves as a solid veteran to lead this young team.  It is too bad that he will probably re-sign with the Suns and finish his career in Phoenix.  After three quarters of play, the Suns still led 82-77.

Suns guard Aaron Brooks alley-oop lob to Carter extended the lead to 97-89 with 6:30 to play.  The Suns never relinquished the lead and ended up defeating the Wolves, 108-98

Suns center Marcin Gortat led six Suns players in double figures with 20 points and 15 rebounds.  Beasley led the Wolves with 24 points and 11 rebounds. 

With the Wolves loss tonight and the Cavs victory over the Toronto Raptors, the Wolves are now tied for the worst record in the league.

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Memphis tonight to face the Grizzlies, who are vying for a playoff birth in the Western Conference.  The Wolves will be without Kevin Love, who is out again with a strained left groin.  Center Darko Milicic is also out with a strained left ankle.

            Both teams shot well early, with the Grizzlie’s Zach Randolph leading the way with 9 points on 3-4 shooting from the field.  Wolves forward Michael Beasley’s dunk with 1:22 to play in the first quarter cut the lead to 25-19.  Beasley has had to play a major role on offense since Love has been injured.  He has done a decent job but since he is the only main offense weapon for the Wolves in these last stretch of games, his shooting percentages have been low since defenses are able to pay more attention to him.  After one quarter, the Grizzlies led 29-20.

            Turnovers continue to plague the Wolves as the Wolves had seven turnovers heading into the second quarter.  After Wolves guard Johnny Flynn’s second turnover led to a corner three-pointer by Grizzlies reserve Shane Battier, the Grizzlies opened up their biggest lead of the night at 39-22 with 8:40 left in the second quarter.  The Wolves have led the league in turnovers all-season.  Ball control and a point guard that can lead this young team should be one of the main priorities for the Wolves next season and it may come in the answer of Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio.  Randolph continued to impress in the second quarter; scoring on a variety of different ways.  His lay-up with an assist from teammate Mike Conley gave him 16 points for the half.  Randolph has really done an amazing job and leading the Grizzlies since All-Star Rudy Gay’s shoulder injury.  Wolves guard Luke Ridnour’s 15 foot jumper before the half cut the Grizzlies lead to 56-44 at halftime.

            Beasley’s three-pointer at the top of the key helped cut the Grizzlies lead to 65-53 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter.  The Grizzlies answered with a 6-0 run capped off by a 15 foot jump shot made by guard O.J. Mayo.  Ridnour’s 25 foot three point shot before the end of the third quarter cut the deficit to 73-64.

            Wolves reserve Anthony Randolph continued the turnover trend on two consecutive possessions to start the fourth quarter.  You can tell Randolph has been pressing since Coach Kurt Rambis has not been giving him extensive minutes in the last few games.  With the season out of reach and Love not playing, I do not understand why Rambis does not play Randolph more minutes.  It is a similar trend to last year when Rambis believed Love would be more efficient as a sixth man.  Randolph needs extensive minutes for the last six games to see where he fits into the Wolves off-season plan for next season.  Wolves reserve Anthony Tolliver’s three-pointer helped cut the lead to 84-77.  But the Grizzlies responded with a 17-6 run of their own after guard Tony Allen’s lay-up to put the game out of reach.  The Grizzlies defeated the Wolves wire-to-wire 106-89.

            The Grizzlies were led by Zach Randolph’s 22 points and 8 rebounds on 9-14 shooting. O.J. Mayo came off the bench to score 20 points.  For the Wolves, Michael Beasley had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

            It was another disappointing loss for the Wolves tonight against a hungry Grizzlies team searching for a playoff spot.  The Wolves will travel to New Jersey to face Deron Williams and the Nets on Tuesday night

MVP Candidate Derrick Rose visits the Target Center to face Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves.  The Chicago Bulls are coming off a disappointing home loss to the Sixers and look to start a new winning streak against the Wolves.  Love, who has missed the last three games, will start tonight’s game.

            Rose, who struggled with 10 turnovers against Philadelphia, looked to be aggressive early; scoring ten points and fours assists to help the Bulls to an early 23-11 lead.  The Wolves struggled from the field; shooting 42% from the field with four turnovers.  Love scored the first basket of the game for the Wolves but played limited minutes in the first quarter.  He still looked a little tentative after missing the last few games with a strained left groin.  Wayne Ellington’s floater off the glass with 0.07 seconds left cut the Bulls lead to 30-19 after one quarter of play.

            Wolves Anthony Randolph, who had been starting in place of Love, hit a pair of 15 foot jumpers in the second quarter.  Randolph did a great job filling in for Love and will look to be a key contributor for the Wolves next season.  Love’s jumper from the corner cut the Bulls lead to 40-32 with 6:50 to play in the second quarter.  Derrick Rose’s three point shot from the top of the key extended the Bulls lead to 47-36.  Rose has done a tremendous job of working on his outside shot this past off-season.  Add his explosiveness in attacking the basket and his uncanny leadership in leading his Bulls to the best overall record in the Eastern Conference; it is no question why Rose should be the NBA MVP this year.  Korver’s 20 foot jumper at the buzzer lifted the Bulls to a 57-44 at the half.

            Bulls Carlos Boozer’s three point play with 5 minutes to play in the third gave the Bulls their largest lead at 74-55.  Wolves’ rookie Wesley Johnson continued to struggle, as he missed his first six shots of the game.  After scoring 29 points against the Lakers on March 18, Johnson has averaged 7.0 points in his last four games.  He has been very inconsistent as a rookie so far.  Hopefully this off-season, he will be able to work on his ball-handling skills and concentrate on being more aggressive on offense next year. 

The Bulls continued to pour it on the rest of the game with the help of Rose and Boozer.  The Bulls defeated the Wolves 108-91; leading the entire game wire-to-wire.  Rose finished the game with 23 points and 10 assists and Boozer had 24 points and 14 rebounds.  The Wolves were led by Love with 16 points and 9 rebounds in 26 minutes of play.

The Wolves lack an aggressive leader on the floor like the Bulls have with Rose.  They do have some hope in next year’s draft if the Wolves are fortunate to draft either Duke’s Kyrie Irving, Arizona’s Derrick Williams or North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes if they all declare this year.  But until they can acquire an impact franchise type of player, the Wolves will continue to see many blowout games like they did tonight against the Bulls.

Former Timberwolf great Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics visit the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.  Garnett spent twelve All-Star seasons in Minnesota before being traded prior to the 2007-2008 season, where he helped the Celtics win an NBA Championship.  The Wolves will be without their NBA All-Star Kevin Love, who will miss his third straight game due to a left strained groin.  Randolph will get the start again at power forward, where he has excelled in his last two starts in place of Love.

            Wolves Michael Beasley got the Wolves off to a fast start, scoring their first 5 points of the game.  The Celtics countered with a 15-0 run, led by Garnett who had a nice finger roll and two handed dunk on the fast break.  The Wolves continued to struggle from the field by shooting 3-15 while the Celtics shot a blistering 78% to extend their lead 28-10 with 3 minutes to go in the first quarter.  Celtics guard Ray Allen, who hit his first four of five shots, led Boston to a 32-13 lead after one quarter of play.

            Celtics Paul Pierce’s three point shot with 4 minutes to play gave the Celtics a 43-23 lead, as the Wolves continued to struggle in the second quarter.  Wolves reserve Anthony Tolliver was the lone bright spot with 8 points and 10 rebounds.  His hustle and leadership helped the Wolves hold the Celtics to just 15 points in the quarter.  Unfortunately, the Celtics still led 47-34 at the half.

            Wolves Darko Milicic’s three point play at the beginning of the third quarter cut the Celtics lead to 49-41 but Pierce answered with a thunderous one hand jam on the break.  Wolves Luke Ridnour’s alley-oop lob and finish by Wesley Johnson brought the Wolves crowd to its feet.  The dunk capped off a 13-2 run to trim the Celtics lead to 57-54 with 4:11 to play in the third quarter.  Celtics guard Carlos Arroyo’s two free-throws with 0.08 seconds left, gave the Celtics a 64-62 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

            Milicic’s lay up with 7:45 to go in the fourth quarter gave the Wolves a short 70-68 lead but Pierce again answered with a three-pointer to help the Celtics retake a 71-70 lead.  After Tolliver’s block on Garnett’s dunk attempt, he followed it up with a three-pointer to give the Wolves back the lead, 73-72 with 4:30 to play.  Pierce responded with a three point play and 15 foot jumper to give the Celtics a 77-73 lead.  Garnett’s fadeaway jumper with a minute to go, put the game away for good as the Celtics held off a furious Wolves comeback by winning the game, 85-82.  Michael Beasley led the Wolves with 28 points and 10 rebounds.  Pierce had 23 points and 7 rebounds for the Celtics. 

            Another valiant effort by these young Wolves after falling behind by 25 points early.  Unfortunately, the Celtics showed why they are considered one of the best in the NBA, as they were able to come up with the necessary stops to help escape Minnesota with a hard fought victory.

The Minnesota Timberwolves traveled to Dallas tonight without their All-Star forward Kevin Love.  Love will miss the next two games due to a bruised left groin.  Forward Anthony Randolph got the start for Love.  Randolph, who was acquired in the Carmelo Anthony trade, has shown some promise during his brief stint with the Wolves.  If given more minutes, Randolph could definitely be a big contributor for the Wolves with his size and athletic ability.

            The Mavericks came in to tonight’s game red-hot, winning 18 of their last 19 games.  Dallas has won both meetings against the Wolves this season and is looking for a season-sweep for the fourth time in five seasons.

            Both teams got off to a cold start in the first six minutes of the game – with Minnesota shooting a miserable 25% and Dallas shooting 33%.  Randolph had three nice early dunks – one off a back door pass from Center Darko Milicic, a dunk-tip off of a Wesley Johnson miss and a breakaway dunk off a pass from Michael Beasley.  The Wolves took an early 14-12 lead after a Beasley spin move and basket off the glass.  Mavs forward Shawn Marion kept the score close with 12 points.  Wolves Johnny Flynn’s three pointer before the first quarter buzzer gave the Wolves a 23-17 lead heading into the second quarter.

            Randolph’s 21 foot jumper at the top of the key kept the Wolves lead at 31-26 with 8 minutes left in the second quarter.  Mavs Peja Stojakovic’s three point shot helped the Mavs take their first lead of the game at 39-35.  Randolph continued to impress in the second quarter with a three point play and a monster two handed jam to keep the Wolves close.  Randolph finished the half with 23 points and 6 rebounds on 10-13 shooting.  Marion led the Mavs with 14 points and to a 49-47 lead at halftime.

            The Mavs continued to extend their lead to 62-54 in the third quarter after Mavs guard Rodrigue Beaubois’s three point shot from the baseline corner.  Randolph’s turnaround basket over Stojakovic gave him a career-high 29 points and helped cut the deficit to 71-67.  After Terry’s three-pointer, Flynn had another buzzer-beating triple to cut the Mavs lead to 76-72 after three quarters of play.

            In the fourth quarter, the Wolves came storming back to take a 88-87 lead after Flynn’s steal and pass to Wayne Ellington for a fast break lay-up with 6 minutes to go.  Mavs Jason Kidd’s backdoor pass to Nowitzki gave the Mavs back the lead 93-90.  The Mavs never relinquished their lead the rest of the way; defeating the Wolves 104-96.

            If there were any moral victories in the NBA, tonight was a great one for these young Wolves.  After being blown out by 25 points at home by the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Wolves came inspired to play tonight behind the play of Anthony Randolph.  Randolph showed great promise by leading the Wolves with 31 points and 11 rebounds in the absence of Kevin Love.  The Wolves displayed a lot of heart and hustle for three and a half quarters but unfortunately the playoff-tested Mavericks proved why they are one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Los Angeles tonight to face a red-hot Lakers team.  Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have won ten of their last eleven games and are on the verge of clinching their fourth straight Pacific Division Championship.  The Timberwolves, on the other hand, have been struggling; losing their last two games by an average of 19.0 points.  The Wolves have not won against the Lakers since March 6, 2007.

            Wolves coach Kurt Rambis, a former Lakers player and assistant coach, has had his fair share of struggles since being named the Wolves coach two seasons ago.  With a roster full of youth and inexperience and inconsistent play calling, the Wolves have struggled to a 32-119 record.  Because of these factors, recent reports have been suggested that Rambis may be on his way out at season’s end.  It will be another important off-season for the Wolves with the uncertainty surrounding their head coach and their future franchise player – Ricky Rubio.

            The Lakers got off to an early 13-9 lead with Lakers Pau Gasol’s 15 foot jumper.  Gasol was very aggressive on both ends – blocking three shots, including back to back blocks on Wolves’ forwards Michael Beasley and Love.  Love, who has had his struggles against the length of the Lakers in the past, paced the Wolves with six rebounds and shot 1-4 from the field.  Love’s lay-up with 2:20 left to go in the first quarter gave the Wolves an early 19-15 lead.  Bryant struggled in the quarter without a point scored by shooting 0-5 from the field. Wolves rookie Wesley Johnson did a superb job defending Bryant, as well as doing damage on the offensive side as well.  Johnson paced the Wolves with 14 points and after one quarter, the Wolves led 27-21.

            In the second quarter, the Wolves continued to hold their lead with the help of their bench.  Wayne Ellington’s 22 foot jump shot gave the Wolves a 37-32 lead.  But after Gasol’s block of Martell Webster and slam dunk finish on the other end, the score was again tied 37-37.  Kobe’s back to back three pointers tied the score at 49-49 but Love’s 2 foot shot with 0.3 seconds left helped the Wolves take a 51-49 lead into halftime.  Johnson led the Wolves with 17 points.  Love had another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  Gasol lead the Lakers with 15 points.

            Gasol’s 16 foot jumper in the third gave the Lakers a 61-60 lead midway through the third quarter.  Johnson’s back to back jumpers helped the Wolves regain the lead 74-73 with 1:13 to play.  Kobe answered with eight straight points to help the Lakers take a 78-76 lead into the fourth.

            During the final quarter of play, the lead changed several times between these two ball clubs until Kobe’s runner with 3:02 left put the Lakers up for good.  The Lakers ran away with the game as they defeated the Wolves, 106-98.  Gasol led the Lakers with 25 points.  Wesley Johnson had another great game against the Lakers in a losing effort and finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

After defeating the Jazz at home last Friday 122-101, the Minnesota Timberwolves traveled to Utah tonight to try to pick up back to back wins against their Northwest Divison foe.  Kevin Love’s historic double-double streak came to an end on Sunday at Golden State, where he was held to just 6 points and 11 rebounds.  Love will look to start a new streak tonight against his former teammate Jazz forward Al Jefferson. 

            Since the Jazz had a poor showing in Minnesota last week, the team opened the game with inspired play, hitting their first five of six shots to take an early 11-4 lead.  Love led the Wolves back with 9 points and 2 rebounds to help the Wolves regain the lead 25-22 with 2:28 to play.  Jazz forward C.J. Miles answered with 11 straight points, including a nice left handed scoop in the lane and three straight three-pointers to tie the score up at 32-32. Miles finished the quarter with 18 points to help the Jazz take a 35-32 lead after one quarter.

            2010 March Madness Star Gordon Hayward had a nice no look pass to Jefferson, who threw down a two handed dunk with the foul, to start the second quarter to help the Jazz extend their lead 40-32.  The Wolves continued to struggle in the second quarter because of their sluggish defense and ball control troubles.  The Wolves had only 5 assists to 4 turnovers and allowed the Jazz to shoot a blistering 69% from the field, including a monster one handed dunk and the foul by Jazz rookie Derrick Favors over Wolves Darko Milicic.  I have never seen this many dunks in a Utah Jazz game by a Utah Jazz team (8 for the game)!  Miles finished the half with 25 points to help lead the Jazz to a 71-50 halftime lead.  Wolves guard Luke Ridnour led the team with 11 points. 

            In the third quarter, Love scored 12 points and 6 rebounds to help lead a Wolves 30 point quarter.  I was impressed with Love this quarter.  He did everything he could do to help bring his team back from such a large halftime deficit.  Unfortunately after three quarters, the Jazz still lead 92-80.

            In the fourth quarter, the Jazz were too much for the Wolves as they pulled away with a victory, 119-104.

            On a night of many Wolves lows, Love did start a new double-double streak with 22 points and 11 rebounds.  C.J. Miles was spectacular for the Jazz tonight as he scored at will all night long.  He finished the game with a career-high 40 points.

           Despite a bruised knee suffered in practice this week, Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love looked to set the NBA record for most consecutive double-doubles against the Indiana Pacers tonight.  Love tied Moses Malone’s all-time record since the ABA/NBA merger of 51 consecutive double-doubles on Monday versus the Dallas Mavericks.  Despite Love’s valiant efforts, the Wolves still lost 108-105.  The Wolves looked to snap their current three game losing streak against the Pacers, who are also on a four game losing streak.

            The Wolves took an early 10-7 lead after the Pacers missed ten consecutive shots, which included Pacers Danny Granger going 0-7 from the field.  Midway through the first quarter, the Pacers were shooting 10% from the field.  Love’s knee was bothersome for him in the first quarter, as he sat with four minutes left in the quarter.  Love had 6 rebounds but was 0-3 from the field.  After one quarter of play, the Wolves led 27-19.

            In the second quarter, Love continued to hobble around on one knee but his consecutive three point plays with 8:25 left in the quarter, gave him 9 points and 8 rebounds and the Wolves a 41-24 lead.  With 6:51 to play, Love stepped to the foul line and hit his first free throw to break Moses Malone’s record and notch his NBA record 52^nd consecutive double-double to a standing ovation at the Target Center.  It was a great moment for Love, the Wolves organization and their fans – as Love stepped off the foul line and gave an appreciative thank you to the boisterous crowd.  Prior to the game tonight, Love talked about the importance of the streak, “It (the streak) means a lot to the fans so therefore, it means a lot to me.”  The crowd reciprocated early and often – by applauding vociferously every time Love grabbed a rebound and inched closer to the streak in the second quarter.

            The Pacers continued to struggle as they shot an abysmal 25% from the field.  Pacers Tyler Hansbrough led their team in scoring with 11 points and 4 rebounds.  Love anchored the Wolves with 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Wolves took a 50-40 lead into halftime.

            In the third quarter, the Wolves continued to pour it on as they extended their lead to 66-44 midway through the quarter.  After Love grabbed his 21^st rebound, Wolves Luke Ridnour’s three point shot in the corner gave the Wolves their largest lead of the night, 73-47.  Along with the rest of the Pacers, Granger also continued to struggle with his shot as he went 1-16 from the field with eight points.  After three quarters, the Wolves led 79-56.

            The Wolves bench continued to sustain the lead in the fourth quarter, as Wolves’ forwards Anthony Randolph and Anthony Tolliver both led the way with 14 points a piece.  Randolph, who was questionable tonight with the flu, provided a spark with a couple of nice assists and Tolliver went 2-4 from the three-point line.  The Wolves ran away with the game; as they went on to defeat the Pacers, 101-75.

            Congratulations go out to NBA All-Star Kevin Love for accomplishing this rare feat tonight.  He finished this historic game on one healthy knee; a la Willis Reed, with 16 points and 21 rebounds.  Even though the Wolves have struggled to a 16-50 record, Love gave the Wolves some positive national media attention during this streak.  He showed a lot of class and consistency as he was able to handle all of the pressure of the streak all season long.  Like how his streak of double-doubles garnered great attention worldwide, Love will continue to provide optimism to Wolves fans as he will be the building block for this franchise for years to come.