sports

Miami superstar LeBron James reported for work Monday night with both legs still attached, so of course he played against the Timberwolves at Target Center.

James landed wrong on his knee during Sunday afternoon’s comeback victory at New York and went down in obvious pain. Despite the scare, he stayed in the game and played on anyway.

“His leg would have to fall off or something for him to miss a game,” teammate Chris Bosh said.

James warmed up before Monday’s game intending to play and he did so on a night when the Wolves once again played without injured starters Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic and Andrei Kirilenko.

Kirilenko missed his third consecutive game because of a strained calf, while Pekovic missed his second game because of an abdominal strain sustained in Thursday’s loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Both continued to experience soreness, and their absence could stretch into this week.

Pekovic underwent an MRI on Monday that showed no structural damage.

“So that’s good,” Pekovic said.

Wolves coach Rick Adelman again started Mickael Gelabale in Kirilenko’s place and Greg Stiemsma for Pekovic, but he seemed willing to put a “Help Wanted” plank out.

“Anybody want a 10-hour contract?” he asked reporters before the game.

Flip the owner?

Wolves owner Glen Taylor said new groups have shown interest in buying the team. Included is one in which former Wolves coach Flip Saunders is involved. Taylor and Saunders met recently in Mankato, Minn., Taylor’s home base.

Taylor also said there is one interested buyer who proceeds the new groups who must decide whether he wants to proceed.

“Because of all that, I just haven’t really pushed it that hard,” Taylor said.

Pep talk sounds familiar

If you think every night seems the same in this lost Wolves season, you’re not alone.

Adelman was asked before Monday’s game how he keeps his team’s collective spirit alive in a stretch where it had lost 20 of its last 24 games.