Wolves' Love breaks hand

Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune

Kevin Love

After hurting his left hand on a rebound, the second-year forward isn't expected back for 6-8 weeks.

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: October 17, 2009 - 12:00 AM

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CHICAGO 94, WOLVES 90 Up next: 7:30 tonight at Milwaukee • No TV (1130-AM)

CHICAGO - Kevin Love rose for an insignificant rebound in an insignificant preseason game Friday night at United Center and came down with a fractured left hand that's expected to sideline him until December.

X-rays taken at the arena showed he broke the fourth metacarpal bone in that hand and the initial estimate is he will miss the next six to eight weeks. Love will see a hand specialist Monday to find out if the injury will require surgery.

"Freak accident," he said as he sat at his locker stall following a 94-90 loss to the Chicago Bulls, his left hand heavily bandaged.

Love went up to grab the rebound of Bulls center Brad Miller's missed free throw with 3:50 left in the third quarter. His right hand collected the ball. His left hand whacked teammate Oleksiy Pecherov's elbow.

"It's one of those things you're upset about, but you can't be mad about it," Love said. "That's part of the game. You hope it doesn't happen to you, but sometimes things don't go your way."

Love's absence will leave the Wolves without one of the NBA's most efficient rebounders and it continues a run of bad luck with former first-round picks -- Rashad McCants, Randy Foye, Corey Brewer and now Love in four consecutive years -- who sustained serious injuries in their first two professional seasons.

He ran back down the court after grabbing the rebound knowing instantly something was amiss.

“As soon as I came down, it just didn’t feel right,” he said. “As I was running up the court, I just wanted to call timeout. It felt numb. I couldn’t feel three fingers on that hand. It didn’t feel right.”

Now teammate Al Jefferson can telephone Love with encouraging words just as Love did when Jefferson tore his anterior cruciate ligament in February. That injury required seven months of recuperation.

"It hurts to know he's going to be out until, well, December," Jefferson said. "When he's out there, it makes my job easier. It's going to hurt not having my son out there. But I know he's going to stay ready and do what he's got to do to get back as soon as possible."

Jefferson delivered a firm message to his teammate as the two left the Wolves' locker room late Friday night.

"You need to stay in shape now," Jefferson said. "Stay in shape, man."

Jefferson lost 31 pounds while rehabilitating from his knee injury. Love last year hired a professional chef to help combat a weight problem.

"At least it didn't happen in the middle of the season," Love said. "Luckily, it's something that can be fixed quickly, and fortunately it's my non-shooting hand."

Love led all rookies last season in double-double games with 29, which broke the franchise's rookie record previously held by Christian Laettner.

How are the Wolves going to replace all those rebounds?

"It's going to have to be collective," forward Ryan Gomes said. "You can pencil him in for at least 10 rebounds a night, minimum. It'll open up a real opportunity for other guys. When Kevin Love comes back, we'll have more firepower."

Suddenly, the Wolves will quickly learn what newcomers Ryan Hollins, a 7-foot center, and Pecherov, a 7-foot forward, can provide with Love missing perhaps 20 games or more.

"Those are things that just happen in ballgames," Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said. "It's unfortunate it happened on our team now. But it's an opportunity for somebody else and guys are going to have to step up and play."

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